Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga (4½ Stars)

When I logged into Netflix I was told that "Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga" is the #1 film in Germany today. By watching it I've added my vote to the list.

Maybe I like the film for the wrong reason. I expected it to be a parody of the Eurovision Song Contest, something I've hated as long as I can remember it. I was surprised to see that it was quite respectful to the contest. The butt of the jokes is the Icelandic entry, Fire Saga, made up of Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir. They're ridiculously inept at performing on a big stage, but there's no criticism of the other performers, neither stated nor implied.

The film is a love story. Lars and Sigrit have had a platonic relationship for more than 40 years. Sigrit wants their relationship to move to the next level (the first level?) while Lars is only interested in winning the Eurovision Song Contest.

For me, the film's strength is in the music and the presentation of the Song Contest. The romantic aspects of the film interest me less, even though they're the film's backbone. If I were to summarise the film in one sentence, I'd say that it begins and ends great, but it sags in the middle. The Icelandic scenery is also breathtaking. The main reason that the film sags in the middle is that the romance is in the foreground. Okay, the romance is also emphasised in the final scenes, but that works out well, because it's accompanied by big musical numbers.

This isn't a film that will make you cry, but it's a film that will make you laugh. I enjoyed it, and I'll probably watch it again.

P.S. There's a brief guest appearance by Netta Barzilai, the winner of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. She deserves the red carpet for her entrance. I wish we could have seen more of her.