Fanny and Alexander: Ingmar Bergman instills a ponderous, rigorous pace to his film that is, however, never less than interesting to watch, and usually much more. It’s also a grand visual spectacle (Sven Nykvist’s cinematography is dreamy and captures fully all the wonder of Anna Asp’s art direction); in this case, this is doubly important, given how symbolic this work is. The story itself is as large or small as the tale of the formative years of the main characters can be; alternatively touching, funny, amusing, but always deeply emotional (despite a certain coldness in the way the story is told). The performances are beautifully modulated (Bertil Guve, by the sheer volume of screen time, is the highlight).