Naked Harbour

Elokuva yllätti synkkyydellään... Näyttelijäsuoritukset olivat elokuvan parasta antia. (Suom. Vuosaari)

Louhimies latest Helsinki set film features an Altman-esque tableau of intersecting characters and plot-lines. Amongst them are an American visiting the city on business, a junkie couple struggling to pay off a thug, a 16 year old who will "do anything" for fame, a bullied Russian immigrant boy, a couple whose marriage is falling apart, a schoolboy whose only friend is his dog, a father who projects his body issues onto his teenage son, and a young single mother undergoing chemotherapy. Finland often tops European surveys regarding suicide rates and, if 'Naked Harbour' is anything to go by, it's easy to see why. Practically every character is undergoing some form of abject misery and at times the film is genuinely heart-breaking, particularly the story-lines dealing with children. Louhimies seems to employ the American character, (played unconvincingly by Brit Pertwee. Couldn't the character have just as easily been British?), as a means of providing Finnish audiences with a way of viewing their society through an outsider's eyes. Aside from the liberal attitude to sex, the issues on display are quite universal. If Louhimies think's only Finns are obsessed with reality shows, he's kidding himself. The cast, Pertwee excepted, are all fantastic and, as a sometimes amusing, sometimes shocking, glimpse into contemporary Finnish society, it's at times fascinating. Unfortunately the script lets it down at times and could have used a rewrite or two. Some of the plot-lines are given more prominence than others and most of them seem to just fade out rather than conclude in a satisfying manner. I've seen Louhimies accused of misogyny throughout his prolific career and, on the evidence of 'Naked Harbour', such accusations may not be unfounded. The female characters are all either incredibly dumb or absolute bitches. Most of them appear to indulge in some level of prostitution, though this could be purely down to poor writing.

Hei tama ei ollutkaan sellainen perus voi-kun-olen-herkka-ja-rakastan-mutta-se-sattuu-niin-kivuliaasti-kun-petettiin-toisiamme-mutta-maailma-on-silti-niin-kaunis-ja-suhteet-perseesta-mutta-rakastan-sitä-silti-herkasti -suomielokuva. Aika turha patka kuitenkin loppupeleissa.

Aika pirstaleinen elokuva, mutta jollain tapaa ihan hyvä. Puoleksi melkeen pornoa, toisaalta silmää miellytti sen verran että ei ainakaan minua haitannu. Tuskinpa tulee toista kertaa katottua silti.

Simplesmente não gostei. Não havia ligação entre as diversas histórias que é relatada, tornando-se bastante confuso o seu seguimento de finalização. É me impossivel atribuir 0 estrelas.

nice life drama about people and love

Solid, finlandez dar putin cam prea contemplativ

The positiveness & exits in the end can hardly cover its (Finnish) despairs & sadness throughout the whole feature. Uncomfortable to watch, one quality feature though.

Aku Louhimiehen "sisarteos" Pahalle Maalle on kokoelma tarinoita ihmisistä, jotka asuvat Vuosaaren kaupunginosassa. Teemoinaan yksinäisyys ja ihmisten läheisyyden kaipuu, elokuvan mailma on realistinen (jopa inho) ja lopun pientä toivonkipinää lukuunottamatta, aika synkähkö. Näyttelijäsuoritukset ovat kautta linjan vahvoja.

Vuosaari oli osin ahdistava katselukokemus, joka nosti pulssia ja sai olon tukalaksi. Pahaa oloa ja rappiota oli maksimoitu melkoisen hyvän näyttelijäkaartin voimin. Alepan keltainen kassi ei näyttänyt pirteältä itähelsinkiläistä lähiöloskaa vasten kuvattuna ja tärkein institutionaalinen järjestely seksiä varten oli prostituutio. Mutta mistähän näistä irtonaisista tarinoista olisi saanut kehiteltyä parhaan itsenäisen elokuvan?