A few weeks after this film was released, I had the opportunity to see it in Finland. Although it was subtitled and I don't speak very fluent Finnish, my Finnish friend, Kaisa, only had to translate a few questionable parts. I was very impressed with the quality of acting, directing, and cinematography. It appeared very equivocal to our lustrious Hollywood films. As I was visiting Helsinki in March, it was thrilling to see how Finland looked in the summer.
Being a typical "prude" American in regards to showing televised nudity, I was a little surprised at the extent of the sexual scenes. Luckily, I was introduced to Finland's policy regarding nudity before I saw this film. (Ever been to a public sauna in Helsinki?)
Even without the details of the dialogue, I greatly enjoyed the story. Kaisa told me that this film remains very controversial in Finland as some scenes give a poor portrayal of Finland's modern culture. The main racey scenes included: The bar scene showing Finnish women as VERY forward, and nothing short of...well..sluts; several scenes portraying adultery as morally justified; the bachelor party that ends up an orgy with two VERY young girls (maybe 12?); and the fact that the main character ends up with a female priest that cheats on her boyfriend!! Nevertheless, I think it did a good job portraying the loneliness 20-something individuals feel, even when they are "with" others. I think Mikko Nousianinen (II), Ari, did a great job portraying the mixture of emotional feelings in his position...his several positions.
In closing, I would like to say that this movie accomplished what it wanted to, and I will not hesitate to purchase a copy when it becomes available. Does anyone know when that is? Because I would really like to see this movie in an English subtitled version.
