Finnish movies getting me down
I love Finnish movies, I think I subconsciously give them an extra point in my movie ratings simply because they’re Finnish (I just saw Paha Maa, amazing film). It’s really cool to see films set in buildings and on streets that I visit regularly, or set in a very generic Finnish countryside setting which we all know and love very well. How often can you say that about American films? Every once in a while a film will take place in Baltimore, I’ll say, “Oh I know where that is!!”, then they zoom in and it suddenly looks more like Vancouver, Canada.
Finnish movies can be quite depressing and disturbing though, more depressing and disturbing than normal American films. Finnish films always seem to throw in bizarre sex scenes, couples cheating, drunken behavior, depressed people, dismal settings… Normally these things wouldn’t bother me when watching a film, but they do when watching a Finnish film.
At first I thought the directors included these “shocking” scenes because they were on a small budget and didn’t have the special effects or big name actors to “wow” the audience. But now I think I get disturbed because all these scenes take place in neighborhoods I know well, with people that could easily be my neighbors.
When I watch an American film I think, “Oh that’s just some Hollywood nonsense” and it doesn’t relate to me. But Finnish films seem all too real, it’s often more “difficult” to watch a Finnish drama. …Know what I mean? Anyone else feel this way when watching Finnish movies?
But then again, I’m a huge fan of HBO’s “The Wire” which takes place all around Baltimore at locations which I know very well. There’s all sorts of fucked up murders and things that happen on the show thatare VERY true to real life, but it doesn’t affect me.
I know what you mean. I know some finns who don’t like to watch Finnish movies or series just ‘cos of that.
This is not really my field of study, but speculation: movies touching some contemporary social problems are seen as more intellectual and not just commercial rubbish (in which category most Spede’s and Koivusalo’s films seem to be put).
For a Finnish recently filmed feel-good flick, I’d recommend you Keisarikunta.
Btw, the first ever Finnish kung-fu movie is here soon! Woot! And don’t miss Ruokala Lokki. A view to Helsinki from japanese perspective.
Comment by Suviko — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 6:52 pm
Well, I don’t know - Kaurismäki certainly is gloomy (and, dare I say, so boooring) but the last ten years have given great stuff, mostly entertaining but not brainless movies. Hollywood is by large so shallow and calculated that it makes you throw up, but with modern Finnish movies you do get a sense of freshness and some sort of relevance even when you are entertained. Not always of course but it has been surprising to see this sudden burst of new talent. Of course there are very dark ones there - Hymypoika for instance was quite bizarre in its portrayal of, well, I don’t know exactly what - and I have heard that Paha maa though very good is exceedingly dark and pessimistic. But should you want just to have braindead, mindless entertainment (and sometimes you really do) the movie theatres are also full of the standard Hollywood stuff, that certainly won’t stay in your mind a second after walking out.
Comment by mjr — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 7:09 pm
Here in the Denver Area , there are is a small Finnish community of Finnish/Americans and Finns that landed here for work or whatever.. We sometimes have “Finnish Movie night” at our house cause I have the Biggest tv. My wife is Finnish. I got a hold of Paha Maa from a friend in Jyvaskyla and had to buy a new Universal DVD player to watch it, which really expands your viewing choices. It is hard to get Finn DVD’s in US format. Anyway reaction to this film was really diverse. Most of “The old timers” who havn’t been to Finland in years Hated it. The younger well traveled crowd was Fascinated by the fresh non hollywood style and I have loaned out my copy of this film and will probably have to twist arms to get it back.
Anybody know of a title list of good Finnish movies and where to get them? (online)
Comment by Rick — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 8:15 pm
Try this American movie… Funny
you tube
Me think’s, YouTube is going to put the entire movie business, out of business.
Comment by winter — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 8:24 pm
Made the rounds in emails a while back here….
This Finnish movie was about tarja’s re-election.??? Ha Ha Ha
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3276492904624449441&q=finnish
Comment by Rick — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 8:38 pm
Rick… Those gals could rule the world. Do you realy have elevators like that?
Comment by winter — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 8:43 pm
Good choice Phil!
I sincerely think it’s good to get down because of movie like Paha maa. I even got a hypothesis why it is so: We learn someting about life and understand our own superficial and bad urges stemming from our small-mindnesness, to keep things simple. It disturbes us when realizing it is *us* who needs to change their perspectives, not some distant caracter on a film screen. It’s a way of being a better person.
Comment by Markku — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 9:28 pm
There are only few decent Finnish films around. Kaurismäki is a great auteur, but very alone in that respect. Most of the stuff Selin, Louhimies and others keep feeding us is shallow and so very conventional. There is a sore lack of good screenplays.
What pisses me off is the interesting smaller indie films that never get to Finnish theatres. We get to see the huge, mindless Hollywood blockbusters and that’s about it. I want Aronofsky, Linklater, Lynch, Jarmusch, Wong Kar-Wai and Chan-Wook Park!
Comment by Passer-by — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 9:36 pm
Rick:
“Anybody know of a title list of good Finnish movies and where to get them? (online)”
Like you said, some people you saw Paha maa with absolutely hated it and some were intrigued. It’s difficult to recommend movies to strangers.
There’s errors in this list, but it’s from IMDb: Most popular Finnish titles by total votes. (And while the two first movies are good, they are not Finnish and the third one is by a Finnish Hollywood director, so…)
http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Countries/Finland/total-votes
I don’t know your taste in movies, but if you are intrested in an independently filmed scifi-parody, google up Star Wreck. Due to copyright issues I think you can’t buy a DVD to USA, but they are freely distributing it online AFAIK.
My subjective list of good Finnish movies that just now pop into my head:
- Raid is THE best series we’ve had in last ten years. It’s just what Phil was writing about: drama and thriller happening in a setting very familiar to finns, but also intentionally parodying the crime series genre. I’ve met the writer: he’s a crime journalist for Finland’s biggest daily newspaper, so he knows what he’s writing about. He also admitted some characters being inspired by real people.
The setteing is also slightly futuristic: big corporations are screwing both citizens and the system. It’s full of great one-liner and character gallery is full of lovable freaks. Acting in overall is strong.
A review of the spin off movie version in Variety:
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117920063?categoryid=31&cs=1
- Tuntematon sotilas (The unknown soldier)
THE classic Finnish war movie. Actually two - a remake from 1955 version was made in 1985. Both versions are loved, but the first one maybe more. Watch it with the old timers and a bottle of Koskenkorva.
- Calamari Unioni
A cult classic by Kaurismäki. Absurd and full of memorable quotes. You need to be a bit bent to art or absurd movies to enjoy this. http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?title1=Calamari%20Union%20(Movie)&title2=&reviewer=CARYN%20JAMES&pdate=19900823&v_id=
- Helmiä & sikoja (Pearls and Pigs)
A feel-good movie, but I enjoyed it. Young actors are doing a good job.
- Nousukausi (Upswing)
It’s at the same time light-hearted and dark comedy of an young couple, who want an extreme experience, so they go living into a suburb.
- Bad Luck Love
Closest to what Finland has ever produced for fans of Tarantino and Stone. The portrayal of Helsinki or Finland is unrecognizable to people living here, but it’s a dark alternate reality of ghettos in Helsinki, where gangs have an all out war going and one can’t easily turn a new leaf in life after criminal history. I like this movie, but not nearly everybody else do. The soundtrack is great.
And here’s a link to a short movie, called Rare Exports Inc., with Bad Luck Love’s leading man in it too:
http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2003/m_rare_exports-p1.php
Comment by Suviko — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 10:00 pm
Passer-by:
If you live in Helsinki, go to Engel & Orion?
Comment by Suviko — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 10:01 pm
Review of Pearls and Pigs: http://www.jigsawlounge.co.uk/film/pearlsandpigs.html
Comment by Suviko — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 10:25 pm
Suviko: Yeah I do go to Orion quite regularly. It’s a great oasis of old classics and art films. Haven’t been to Kino Engel yet, have to check it out. The sad thing is that those are pretty much the only art house theaters here, and of those Orions is a film archive, so not much of a choice of contemporary films.
Comment by Passer-by — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 10:28 pm
Passer-by:
So atleast there’s the film archive and Engel. I forgot to mention Bio REX, which also shows some independent & art movies, but maybe less after being sold by Cinema Mondo.
Btw, got digibox & Teema yet?
Then there’s the annual festivals in Helsinki & Espoo: DocPoint, Cine, Kettupäivät and R&A. I don’t get sensory overload with film festivals anymore. I’ve learnt to moderate the intake and sleep enough. It’s like binge eating to watch Everything you’d like to catch in R&A aka HIFF.
But there’s smaller events for film enthusists. For instance art museums, The Film Society of Helsinki University
and UIAH/TAIK organise some showings.
Film Society’s club Raina: http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/elokuva/raina_klubi.html
Comment by Suviko — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 10:44 pm
“Do you realy have elevators like that?”
Yes indeed, they have such a paternoster elevator in the house of parliament. It is there to get rid of those stupid representatives, who are not able to make it through a revolving door either. That’s why they have only clever people up there.
Comment by Antti (the redneck one) — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 10:51 pm
Hey thanks for the imd link! I can find some of those readily I think, Also thanks for all thr other linksand reviews! Got some good ideas for our next Movie night. Funny even though some of the guests hated Paha, after the movie it created something for them talk and debate about,(Finnish society, morality, etc ) even weeks later. Most Hollywood films never garner such debate. Yeah We watch “The Unknown soldier” (old version) almost every year after a Finladia foundation dinner . Guest come and Usually we have no Korsken Korva available but Lots of Finlandia is brought over and consumed Even though as an American I am kind of tired of the Film,having seen it so many times it is amazing how it evokes such strong emotions from the folks who grew up with it. Kind of depressing to have guests in such a somber mood but we usually follow up with some lively music and more good booze/ food ;-D . Some of the 20 somethings i Know say they will have full length LORDI Music Videos (Are these turds still popular in Suomi?) next time to bring over…. uhhh ohhhh
Comment by Rick — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 10:52 pm
Rick
Try make the old gang watch the ‘85 version for change? Or Talvisota? There are also newer Finnish war movies, like Rukajärven tie. One is just being shot atm, called Tali-Ihantala 1944.
One film that I have enjoyed immensly (and then went to give to my mom) was The Cuckoo (orginally Kukushka in Russian, Käki in Finnish). The movie is Russian, but two out of three main actors are Finnish.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/films/reviews/a_f/cuckoo.shtml
Comment by Suviko — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 11:15 pm
My list of the movies would be:
-Varastettu Kuolema (Stolen death) by Nyrki Tapiovaara
A film with some artistic ambition before Ansa&Tauno Suomi-films
-Rakkauden Risti + all films by Teuvo Tulio. Tulio’s films can be a bit too melodramatic and sometimes I’m practically screaming and banging my head on the next row seat, why this visual genius wasn’t given a good manuscript, but his films have some strange magic in them.
-Komisario Palmu, All films in the series. Detective stories written by Mika Waltari.
-Tuntematon sotilas (unknown soldier), watch only for general education. Read the book instead and preferably Linna’s original named “Sotaromaani”
-Valkoinen Peura (White reindeer) “horror” film based on old Lapland stories.
-Hän varasti elämän (He stole a life) film noir about a nerdy accountant finding his dark side.
-Jäniksen Vuosi (Year of the hare) based on Paasilinna’s novel. A pre-libertarian Finn breaks loose from the chains of the welfare state.
-All films by Markku Pölönen and Perttu Leppä. (Yea, Yea, too nostalgic and cheesy for you cityfolks, but I enjoy watching other north-karelian rednecks on the screen.)
Comment by Antti (the redneck one) — Thu, Sep 28th, 2006 @ 11:21 pm
Phil, you probably liked Homicide too then? Of all the detective shows I liked Homicide best. Truly creepy stuff. Did they shoot it on real locations in Baltimore, do you know?
Comment by Pave — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:39 am
Lots of good stuff comes from Hollywood too, no need to bash. The worst crap doesn’t even land here. Unfortunately many interesting movies are also not shown here.
Comment by m — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:45 am
“I want Aronofsky, Linklater, Lynch, Jarmusch, Wong Kar-Wai and Chan-Wook Park!”
You should frequent indie theaters. If you live in Helsinki, great.
Comment by m — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:46 am
Antti:
Good movies, but likely difficult to get in the States. YLE (Finnish Public Broadcast Company) sells a bozed set of Palmu movies (old detective films), but the page doesn’t say if they’ve got English subtitles. If I remember tomorrow, I can check from YLE-Shop downstairs.
Films by Pölönen might be easiest to find and also “easiset to view” from that list.
Comment by Suviko — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:46 am
Bozed? Boxed. I hear bed calling…
Comment by Suviko — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:48 am
Ohh should’ve read all the comments first. Helsinki is great compared to the rest of the country. Luckily hear in Tampere we still have Niagara.
Comment by m — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:50 am
Keisarikunta? I found it so repulsively pretencious I could not watch it more than 10 minutes.
Comment by Markku — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:54 am
Suviko: Thanks for the recommendations.
m: Yeah, having moved to Helsinki a year ago I know how bad the situation is elsewhere. It just makes me sad when the art house theaters seem to die one after another.
Comment by Passer-by — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:58 am
14, redneck Antti and others: check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster
I have ridden on these elevators in Parliament as well as in Sampo Bank’s main office. I don’t think there is anyway else in Finland where they have them.
Comment by Peter — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 1:02 am
To #26 Peter:
At Stockmann’s they do and someone there said it’s protected by the national Board of Antiquities (Museovirasto, piti tarkistaa niiden sivulta käännös). I’ve been on it and once forgot to get out before it went “through the roof”.
In fiWikipedia’s article they list all the places in Finland that still have one of those:
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternosterhissi
Comment by Suviko — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 1:32 am
To #24:
Matters of taste are difficult to argue about. I was taking into account what sort of people Rick is apparently watching movies with. I think Keisarikunta could work for ‘em: it’s a new movie, but harmless feel-good about a jazz band, full of 50’s nostalgy.
It’s also easily available (I checked that Amazon has the DVD).
Thenagain, Variety’s review seems to agree with Markku:
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117928458?categoryid=31&cs=1
A fan compliation video for checking it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJs3JNVhkxQ
Comment by Suviko — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 1:43 am
Suviko:
Thanks for all of the recommendations and the links. It is so hard to get Finnish movies here in the U.S., but I was able to get Cockoo on Amazon and loved it, as well as “The Man Without A Past”, of course, since it was nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2004, a film version of a book I was sent from my cousin in Finland was released: “Popular Music”. The book/film was actually set in Sweden and was about young boys living in Pajala, a Finnish speaking area of Sweden near the artic circle. Has anyone seen that movie? Was it any good? Can’t find it anywhere in the U.S.
Comment by nipsu — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 2:22 am
Best Finnish movie I have seen is Aidesta Parhain. Kaurismaki movies are OK, but a bit too wierd for my taste. Finland does make good movies but a large majority seem too depresing. I agree that Hollywood blockbuster types can be shallow but they also make incredible dramas
Comment by bill — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 7:35 am
Suviko - 2 tiny theatres, 3 film festivals geared during the daytime during the week (i.e. not for the working stiffs) and YLE Teema which from what I’ve heard is being discontinued(?) doesn’t really manage to bring in the selection of current indy films that would satisfy. I don’t know if the problem is a lack of distributors. With the crap selection at the main theatres lately I’ve not been to see a movie in months.
Phil, if you watch the nordic movies on Canal+, gloom seems to be the prevailing style. Maybe they’re onto something….
Comment by hfb — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 8:35 am
Something to look for: Rock and roll never dies, script/dir. Juha Koiranen.
Premiere 2. 12. Defenitely a fresh feelgood film from the maker of e.g. films “Pakkaus” and “Partanen”.
Starrig Santeri Kinnunen as, eh… younger-than-his-age -dude with a dream.
Comment by issi — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 10:10 am
Surely Teema will not be discontinued - it’s a great channel! Where are winter and Finnpundit when our dear socialized television is robbed by the faceless statist bureaucrats!!!
Comment by mjr — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 10:16 am
Kaurismäki
Comment by Reko — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 10:33 am
Phil, you probably liked Homicide too then? Of all the detective shows I liked Homicide best. Truly creepy stuff. Did they shoot it on real locations in Baltimore, do you know?
Funny enough, I never watched Homicide. I almost forgot about that series, I should get the DVD’s. But I’ve never been big on murder draams (CSI suuuuuuuucks).
Comment by Phil — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 10:35 am
Good Finnish movies:
“Pelon Maantiede” (Geography of Fear)
“Neitoperhe” (Butterfly or something..)
Then there’s a classic, the first Finnish scary movie: “Kuutamosonaatti” (80s, be prepared..)
And hey, Jarmusch-fans, if you haven’t seen “Night on Earth”, you’d better hurry up, it has a Finnish episode in it.
Movies by Pirjo Honkasalo (3 rooms of melancholy, tulennielijä)
Koti-ikävä:
http://www.koti-ikava.com/main_content.html
Comment by Perttu — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 12:02 pm
Then there’s a classic, the first Finnish scary movie: “Kuutamosonaatti†(80s, be prepared..)
Damn, that’s a great movie, it has some truly Finnish characters. Any foreigner should watch it before moving to Finland, just to know what to expect here.
Comment by Nirva — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 1:25 pm
To hfb
2 tiny theatres? I already mentioned three. I like their more intimate and small-scale feel. Have you ever seen a huge or big arthouse theatre? But anyway, Tennis- & Kinopalatsi also show some films not made in Finland or Hollywood. And not everything from Hollywood is crap. Go see “Thank you for smoking”?
3 film festivals? Espoo Cine is in Espoo ok, but it’s close enough to be counted into the bunch with Helsinki International Film Festival, DocPoint and Kettupäivät. I didn’t even mention Night Visions (horror), Artichoke (women film festival), the Latin movies festival, Helsingin juhlaviikot having a film section too and so on. I’m again forgetting some, but there ARE festivals, more than 3. If you a willing to travel to Tampere (Tampere Film Festival), Turku (Tough Eye, Vinokino) or Hämeenlinna (Clone), you get even more of them.
I was working (voluenteering) at the Love & Anarchy aka Helsinki International Film Festival, which just ended last Sunday. There were two weekends full of movies and many also on weeknights. Usually the first showing each weekday was 16.30 and earlyer on weekends.
Where did you hear Teema is being discontinued? My room at YLE is at the same corridor with Teema and I haven’t heard anything like that, on the contrary. Do you like Kim Ki-Duk’s movies? They just aired a series of ‘em. I saw The Resurrection of Little Matchgirl in Love & Anarchy a few years back, but am going to watch it again when it comes from tv on 8.12.
If all this doesn’t satisfy you, what sort of scenario would you like to have? I have kinda thought that indie-fans like things to stay as their own, a bit underground, world.
Comment by Suviko — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 1:42 pm
Hey Phil,
What do you think of Baltimore’s own bad boy John Waters? I suppose his films give an extra kick when you know the locations.
Comment by Aaron — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 4:43 pm
“Popular Musicâ€Â. The book/film was actually set in Sweden and was about young boys living in Pajala, a Finnish speaking area of Sweden near the artic circle. Has anyone seen that movie? Was it any good?”
Heh, apparently they didn’t dare to translate the name completely. It was “Populaarimusiikkia Vittulanjänkältä” in Finnish. The film is actually swedish. Definetely a good movie and worth seeing. The Swedes have a bit lighter touch on northern thematics than us.
If one prefers more “gloomy” view on Lapland, then Rauni Mollberg’s films on Timo K. Mukka’s novels are right on target. Damned South-Europeans and latinos didn’t understand their artistic views though. I heard they were shown as porn movies in the South-America way back in the 70’s
Comment by Antti (the redneck one) — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 6:09 pm
I like Finnish movies about as much as I like enemas. Really awful, with a couple of exceptions every 5 years.
Comment by Anssi — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 6:13 pm
Finnish movies also bother me, though I am a Finn. Somehow they reflect the finnish reality and people very well. There is something really realistic about them. They are “inhorealistisia” (I can’t translate that). Sometimes I can’t help, just to wonder, how well they have captured the Finnishness in to these films. It is sad, but true. We Finns are melancholic, depressiv, aggressive and there is something amazing in the Finnish nature: the beautifully sad and quiet finnish summernights, cold winter, light spring and dark fall. It is a perfect scene for the movies.
Comment by Visitor — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 6:40 pm
I love the gloominess of Finnish films. It probably defines the Finnish character more than Finns themselves do - at least in the external public consciousness. Though I would say more melancholy than gloomy. Especially in the Kaurismäki films, there’s always a deadpan humour and hint of redemption within what we would see as rather depressing themes.
And since I’m from Vancouver, I always recognize my hometown in American movies and TV, whether they’re supposedly in Baltimore, LA, Seattle, or Caprica!
Comment by Scott — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 7:21 pm
Oh, and of course if you like The Wire, I agree with Pave that you’d love Homicide: Life on the Street. One of my favourites.
Comment by Scott — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 7:26 pm
I feel that the finnish films are too often a caricature and an exaggeration of how it is to live in Finland. That’s the reason why I usually do not enjoy them. They’re portraying a Finland that I do not recoqnize. My personal experience of Finland is far removed from the Finland that I see in those “disgustingly realistic” (inhorealistinen) series and films.
Or maybe I’m just refusing to see the truth.
Comment by Ã…boy — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 8:20 pm
Pertuu:
“Night on Earth” was great. However, it is interesting to note that of all the different locations and segments that this movie was filmed, (L.A., N.Y, Paris, Rome and Helsinki), the episode in Helsinki was by far the most depressing and gloomy. Kind of reinforces Phil’s theory.
Comment by nipsu — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 8:59 pm
Rick: “Häjyt” (1999) is also quite good film, those “old timers” might even like it
Comment by tim73 — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 10:58 pm
Different locations for various movies can be bizzarre. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Any More was a deja vu trip for me, as it seemed to be completely shot in my old home town Tucson, Arizona - even the scenes that were supposed to be happening in New Mexico.
Then, in the mid- 1990s, when I was back in Southern Arizona again, driving back to Tucson from a visi to to Nogales, Mexico, I stopped in the small town of Tubac to see a movie production crew packing away their stuff. One of the props was a “Utah State Police” car. I asked someone what the movie was, and they said “Vanishing Point”. I just looked the title up in the Internet Movie Data Base, and saw some information that seemed to confirm what I had seen - although it was apparently a remake of a previous production.
Comment by Kimmo W. — Fri, Sep 29th, 2006 @ 11:48 pm
Well, many of the succesfull modern Finnish movies are not so “inho”-realistic at all - for a selfconfessed highbrow it’s slightly embarrasing to admit that I think that Levottomat for instance was an excellent and truly realistic movie. There was no exaggarated, “artistic” gloom there, and being in the middle of, hmm, very confusing personal situation I found it very matter of fact as regards the young, urban, university educated scene. Not to say that many of the arthouse type ultra-gloomy movies wouldn’t be good, but even they don’t give the whole variety of human existence: there is another side to the pessimism and darkness, lots of enjoyable and light things in our human existence…
Comment by mjr — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 11:08 am
#49 Besides, the whole Levottomat-trilogy has the best images of Turku and Helsinki!
Comment by Perttu — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 11:20 am
The two last films of the “trilogy” don’t really compare well to the first which indeed was a nice movie.
Comment by m — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 4:48 pm
The trilogy thing surely was just a marketing gimmick, there was nothing much common with the individual movies.
Comment by mjr — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 4:53 pm
mjr:
for a selfconfessed highbrow it’s slightly embarrasing to admit that I think that Levottomat for instance was an excellent and truly realistic movie.
What are you on, man?
I found it very matter of fact as regards the young, urban, university educated scene.
Perhaps Finnpundit is right about the state of Finnish academia after all.
m:
The two last films of the “trilogy†don’t really compare well to the first which indeed was a nice movie.
Well, #2 is all about Samuli Edelmann’s schlong and #3 is a crappy soft porn movie (without Samuli Edelmann’s schlong, thank God) so yes. Which isn’t saying much.
Apparently the market in Finland is so small that there is room for only one commercially oriented director. It seems that Aku Louhimies has replaced Ere Kokkonen in this respect.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 8:20 pm
Well, for better or worse it was realistic as regards as my far from stable personal life at the time. I know that many of my friends felt the same way as well - maybe those circles were narrow and non-essential but Levottomat certainly did ring a bell.It’s a very, very good bad movie.
Comment by mjr — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 8:35 pm
Well, for better or worse it was realistic as regards as my far from stable personal life at the time.
Ditto, without 95 per cent of the scoring. Still, camp value is the only value I see in this flick.
And of course the film rings a bell for a certain generation. It’s calculated to do so and the calculation was handsomely rewarded at the box office.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 10:26 pm
“I found it very matter of fact as regards the young, urban, university educated scene.
Perhaps Finnpundit is right about the state of Finnish academia after all.”
For us science majors, the *life* such as in ‘Levottomat’ is definetely elsewhere. But you know, there are these immoral humanists and liberal arts types…
Comment by Antti (the redneck one) — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 10:49 pm
It wasn’t such great fun when it was going on - but anyway I do have a soft spot for Levottomat and don’t see it as a completely calculated effort, it has certain freshness despite all the cliches and calculations.
Comment by mjr — Sat, Sep 30th, 2006 @ 11:48 pm
Levottomat was Louhimies’ diploma work to Helsinki Arts School (TAIK).
Remembering that fact, it is pretty fuckin good movie (I stress the word ‘fuckin’)
Comment by Perttu — Sun, Oct 1st, 2006 @ 5:39 am
Louhimies has been such a positive surprise - he has a light touch but not trivial touch. Paha maa is supposed to be hugely good, I have not gotten around to seeing it yet, the subject of Phil’s post maybe has something about it: this would probably be the first of these super-gloomy Finnish movies that I would genuinely like if I would genuinely like it. (Btw, I never understood the reputation of Levottamat as such a sexy and sex centred movie - relationships and friendship are the obvious central theme from where it never really strays.) And Louhimies is not alone there are several others young, talented Finnish directors - it’s good that the welfare state will support true talent so that we are not solely at the mercy of market driven trivia.
Comment by mjr — Sun, Oct 1st, 2006 @ 12:04 pm
To hfb:
In Hesari today: “Nyt on tilaisuus tutustua uuteen venäläiseen elokuvaan. Tänään Helsingissä alkava nykyvenäläisen elokuvan festivaali Kino lokakuu esittää 13 filmiä, jotka käsittelevät sekä Venäjän nykyisyyttä että sen menneisyyttä.”
Basically what it says translated: Festival of contemporary Russian films in Helsinki, with 13 films. From 2.10.- and tickets cost 3e.
More info here:
http://www.cinemasf.net/view.shtml?tti/0724
(Some showings also in Tampere.)
Comment by Suviko — Mon, Oct 2nd, 2006 @ 8:03 am
[i]But Finnish films seem all too real, it’s often more “difficult†to watch a Finnish drama. …Know what I mean? Anyone else feel this way when watching Finnish movies?[/i] -Phil, original post
As a non-resident, I’ve only been able to view so many European films, but I think what you said about Finnish dramas may be true of Fenno-Scandinavian, or perhaps rather Northern European, dramas in general.
Some films that come to mind are the Swedish films ‘Saraband’ and ‘En SÃ¥ng för Martin’; ‘The Sea’ and less so ‘The Juniper Tree’ and ‘The Seagull’s Laughter’ from Iceland; and the Dutch film ‘The Celebration’. All are more-or-less emotionally and psychologically challenging, especially the Swedish ones I mentioned, which were absolutely exhausting. All were extremely masterfully crafted, however; really excellent films. I could imagine they might become tiresome, though.
The only Finnish *’dramas’* I’ve seen are most of the Kaurismäki films, which I take are a bit unique. I did love them, though.
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