Compartiment n°6

A Finnish romance of sorts about a woman whose first negative impressions of her fellow train compartment passenger make way for warmer feelings as she gets to know him.

I think "Compartment No. 6" is a lot about the importance of being open to new experiences and the rashness inherent in instantly forming judgements about people. The female protagonist in this movie studies anthropology because she feels like knowing our history is important to understanding who we are now. But is it really? In a cultural and sociological sense, probably. But at the individual level, when does attachment to the past interfere with living in the present?

There's a great scene in this movie that takes place after a fellow Finn, a tall strapping guy with a guitar no less, is crooning songs to the woman as he crashes in their compartment for a bit, and she looks out the window to see the off-kilter Russian who has set her on edge standing out on the train platform punching and kicking snowballs. In that moment, we get what she's feeling, because we feel it to. Yeah, the Finnish guy is good looking and "safe," but he's also boring. The Russian guy is weird and maybe crazy, but he's different, and sometimes different is exactly what you need.

Grade: A-

What would you do, in a carriage made for four, there's just you and a drunk guy, and he thinks that you're a whore, there's nowhere to run or hide, this will not be a great ride, but you're stoic and heroic, you will take it in your stride.

A wonderful story, as Laura and Ljoha, two strangers on a train, gradually allow the ice that encapsulates us all to thaw, defrost, puddle and merge, creating a bond that was as distant as the poles when they first encountered each other at the beginning of their journey from Moscow to Murmansk. A story that proves what a catalyst we can be to each other when the barriers are removed to reveal the compassionate and emotional beings we are deep inside.

I have just watched this at the Mostra Internacional de São Paulo.

It feels very genuine: the acting is naturalistic and the story, simple. It's a road movie/coming of age experience that teaches us a few valuable lessons without preaching them. Also a reminder of how much we miss natural-looking people on the big screen.

Compartment Number 6 is superficially a bleak 'Russian' railRoad film largely centered on a mismatched couple thrown together in a train compartment travelling from Moscow to Murmansk. I gather it was largely filmed in Russia, Moscow, but is directed by the Finnish, Juho Kuosmanen, who had previous success in Cannes and then shared the grand Prix there in 2021 for this effort, (with "A Hero"). It is from a Finnish novel by Rosa Liksom.

I like bleak "Russian" films (They are unpredictable, often very well done and more like my impression of life -) and this didn't disappoint. Laura is an older Finnish student, having an affair with her landlady in Moscow, circa the 90's. Landlady may be over the affair and has pulled out of a planned trip the 2 were making to see petraglyphs in Murmansk (these are 1000 year + old rock carvings and sound fascinating. Go in summer and maybe by plane.) So Laura decides to go anyway. After an uncomfortable pseudo-sophisticated farewell party where the gauche Laura tries hard but flails and seems out of place with the neat pretentious guests, she joins the train heading north to Murmansk. Russian winter. To her dismay she finds sharing the cabin is a boorish, rude, heavy drinking, Russian miner Ljoha (Yuri Borisov) heading back up there to his mine. She cant get another cabin. So there they are - both in their way lacking social graces and pretty dysfunctional. And you can compare these 2, with the earlier relaxed members of society at the party.

The Acting particularly of the lead couple is excellent as is direction and the filming in and out of the train. Bleak and rough but also in some way sweet. I liked it.

Finland's official entry to 2022's Oscars, that made it to the shortlist, is beautiful, simple and genuine. The relationship between the leads is so unique and likable. Their performances are superb and their characters are catchy too. The film also tackles interesting topics like passion, relationships and trust. It's sensational but also sometimes feels empty and flat.