This is my first review of a film, so bear with me. I had the pleasure of viewing an Australian production by Finnish-Australian producer/director/screenwriter/actress Saara Lamberg. Lamberg's feature debut is a Scandi-style art-house thriller that is rarely, if ever made in Australia. This was an ambitious project made in Finland and Australia on a tight budget; I have been told. It follows the story of twins Tulli and Suvi (both played by Lamberg herself) raised in a religious and oppressive Finnish family. Tulli was the more neglected and abused of the two, while Suvi was the parent's "Angel", as Tulli would refer to her sister. Most of the story takes place on Tulli's trip in Australia, interwoven with flashbacks of the twin's childhood in Finland. Tulli is hell-bent on wreaking havoc on anyone who comes in contact with her, especially the people she befriends. She explains to us her motivations for all her atrocities by the end of the film, but I will not reveal those, as it will spoil it for the viewer. The film provides us with numerous memorable scenes, a lot of them shocking and some unexpectedly humorous. The latter are interspersed randomly but perfectly throughout this gloomy film. The ambiguous ending leaves the audience pondering; what happened? I would recommend this film to anyone who is interested in art-house cinema. It is not a popcorn movie but a thought-provoking film beautifully written, directed, produced and most importantly starring the extraordinarily talented and hardworking Saara Lamberg.
