uniikki Reviews

Emmauksen tiellä (2001)

A short look into Emmauksen tiellä

[8/10 · 16 November 2001]

First of all, I cannot really fathom how some foreigner who does not know finnish culture would feel, or what he/she could get out of this movie. Most likely not very much. Then again, it's not very likely that all that many non-finns will ever see this movie. I suppose not all that many Finns will find very much from this movie either. First of all, it's Dogmaish approach. The movie was filmed in one day (except for a couple of scenes) in chronological order whilst walking on the very road (On the Road of Emmaus) with flashbacks done by panning, the film crew sometimes entering the picture intentionally, talking and looking at the camera etc. There is lots of that stuff and I can imagine that it would bother many.

The movie itself is a story of Rane, returning to his childhood home located in a small village in the middle of nowhere only to sell it. However, after a plot twist Rane has to walk to a bridge to pay his taxi fare, and we're led into a strange road movie into finnish countryside, an odd stroll down the memory lane filled with odd characters, music and dancing. Such a cacophonic mix very easily leaves you either charmed or confused.

Personally I found that the care-free dogma style was used to strengthen the experience. The story wasn't horribly strong, but it more than lasted its 80 minutes by introducing a new character to flesh out Rane's history or just introducing something wonderfully weird when it didn't really know what to do.

The acting was for the most part good. Or rather it was appropriate. At times it was horribly overdone, but it all felt rather appropriate. Especially Peter Franzèn as Arvi proves himself as a most versatile actor.

All in all, Emmauksen tiellä is bound to be such a subjective experience it is really hard to say something definitive about it. It has a strong theatre-like feel to it, and it never really allows you to forget that you're watching a movie. I suppose in the US the movie would have considerably higher PG rating, for it deals with many not so nice things but by it's heart it is a gentle story of a lost lamb. If you've ever loved the finnish countryside with it's unpaved roads and fields that a city dweller could not tell apart, this might be a movie for you. If you haven't, well, it's still a very entertaining movie, if a bit oversentimental:-)

The Green Mile (1999)

A rare gem of casting and direction.

[10/10 · 10 February 2000]

Frank Darabont returns to the directors chair with another adaptation of Stephen Kings novel. The events take place at a death row, the guards call the green mile. The story is a layered, rather character-driven fantasy tale of the events that transpire at "the mile" after the arrival of a giant man, John Coffey (Michael Duncan), convicted of the murder of two small girls. Actually this is not one single story, but several tied together seamlessly.

A character-driven movie requires a lot from the cast, and fortunately when it comes to cast, The Green Mile delivers. As the poster of the movie tells, this movie stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb, senior prison guard of the mile, and as always he performs very well indeed. Yet the cast around him is even more spectacular, perhaps partially due to them being relatively unknown. With a face you know, one inevitably remembers previous performances, and the new role is coloured by this. Doug Hutchison as Percy Wetmore, a mean spirited prison guard was particularly impressive, yet his character could have been given more depth. The most captivating was the performance of Michael Duncan.

It is hard to find a flaw in this movie. The camerawork is superb, cast wonderful and direction flawless. The movie's considerable length, a bit over three hours, is something that had me worried. Yet the marvellous cast and the peaceful yet firm pace of the movie held my attention progressively through the three hours right to the touching culmination. Many will find this movie to be too long, but I for one was delighted of the style, combination of simplicity of events and depth of characters and conversation.

All in all the The Green Mile is a very touching drama, with the joys and sorrows of the life pictured with great skill, if not the best movie of the year. Five out of five.

City of Angels (1998)

visually suberb

[9/10 · 17 October 1998]

This movie must be credited for its absolutely stunning visualty. Most beautiful thing that has come out of Hollywood in a long time. The music could have used a little more fine tuning from time to time, but it was above average all the time.

I can easily understand why this movie divides its viewing audience, but I think it's just fine that it does. But I find it sad that many people think of this story only as a predictable romance. Predictable, yes, but it has much to offer, in terms of values. If you go and watch it as an experience, you will find it most enjoyable. Of course, that's hard to come by, when watching from your 28" home tv with mono sound.

Macross Plus (1994)

One of the best anime.

[10/10 · 17 October 1998]

If you think that animated movies are meant only for children, then watch this one. A complex and dramatic story combined with very beautiful visuals and one of the best soundtracks ever. You definitely have to hear the original Japanese version to appreciate it. Especially Voices is truly touching. In the dubbed version I saw the songs had lost most of their original charm. And the songs are very important to the story. If you have been critical towards anime before this one could easily change your mind.