Infidelity in 'The Greenest Grass' is harmless – but it has heaps of charm

The Swedish film "The Greenest Grass" explores infidelity with a surprisingly light touch, offering a romantic comedy that, while charming, is largely devoid of serious consequences. The directorial debut by Kim Sundbeck, co-written by Erik Ahrnbom, Petra Revenue, and Sundbeck, centers on Sasja, a food inspector living in Malmö, a city recently featured in the Netflix series "Half of Malmö Consists of Guys Who Dumped Me."

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Infidelity on the big screen, especially during the trendy 80s and 90s, has often been associated with boiled rabbits, octopus-like monsters, indecent proposals, and sudden death. More rarely romantic comedies.

Sasja dreams of opening his own restaurant, while his partner Olivia, an aspiring artist, hopes to break through in her field. Their relationship, however, lacks passion, with both partners neglecting each other's ambitions and personal needs. Even a family therapist notes their low "couple energy," suggesting a separation might be imminent.

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Swedish 'The Greenest Grass' also takes a firm comedic grip on the theme of infidelity.

During a workday inspecting decaying food, Sasja encounters Lea, a young waitress who is soon moving to Paris. Their brief encounter ignites a passion that complicates Sasja's already strained relationship. In an unconventional twist, Sasja's solution to this love triangle is not reconciliation but an attempt to level the playing field by encouraging Olivia to also engage in an affair.

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His solution to the complicated love triangle becomes to try to get his partner to also be unfaithful, to even the odds.

Despite the contrived plot, Sundbeck's storytelling injects significant life and drive into the narrative. The film boasts high comedic ambitions and strong chemistry among the cast, including Vilhelm Blomgren as Sasja and Anna Asp as Olivia. However, critics note that the humor is infrequent, with laughter being sparse despite a well-crafted script. The film is ultimately described as cozy but perhaps too harmless, though it is credited with abundant charm and pleasant settings.

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The comedic ambitions are high and the acting chemistry is strong, but the laughs are too few and far between despite a well-written script. Cozy but a bit too harmless.