Category: Films
FIVE YEARS OF FILM REVIEWS.
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- Films
Film Review: ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Is About Pointless Banter
The story about "the mother of blues" is taken over by a bunch of players who do more arguing than playing.
- Films
‘Dogs Don’t Wear Pants’ Film Review: BDSM as Grief Counselling
Finnish director J-P Valkeapää takes us on a visceral journey, in turns heart-wrenching and stomach-churning.
- Films
‘Midsommar’ Film Review: Pagan Midsummer Festival in Sweden Turns Into a Psychedelic Horror Trip
We are dealing with the strange world of pagan ritual here. But is it good? Read our review.
News
‘Skyscraper’ Film Review: Dwayne Johnson’s Best Performance to Date
‘Skyscraper’ is original, funny and compact. What’s not to like?
‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Delivers Nothing New in the Tired Franchise
How many more do we need?
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Film Review: Favorite Superheroes Try to Save the Universe from Extinction While Cracking Jokes
Your favorite superheroes assemble to fight a common enemy that could wipe them out of existence.
‘Black Panther’ Film Review: This Time the Black Guy Gets to Be the Hero
A black guy in a cat suit takes down potential threats while protecting his nation as the king.
‘All the Money in the World’ Film Review: Plummer’s Cold Performance Makes the Viewer Sweat
It’s a great thriller.
‘Molly’s Game’ Film Review: Jessica Chastain Gives an Oscar-Worthy Performance
‘Molly’s Game’ is so far the best picture of the year.
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Film Review: The Greybeards Tag Along to Guarantee the Star Wars Spirit
The film stays true to its roots and features a Finnish actor as well. What’s not to like?
‘The Foreigner’ Film Review: One of The Greatest Performances of Jackie Chan’s Career
We haven’t seen Jackie Chan with 151 movies in his résumé turning in a drama performance like this.
‘Daddy’s Home 2’ Film Review: Wahlberg and Ferrell Deliver the Laughs – Gibson and Lithgow Overact
Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell are the pillars of the film.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Film Review: Cate Blanchett’s Performance as Goddess of Death is an Instant Classic
Blanchett’s performance is a knockout in the third installation of the Thor saga.
‘Loving Vincent’ Film Review: A Real Feast For the Eye and Mind
‘Loving Vincent’ brings Vincent van Gogh’s most famous paintings alive in a hand-painted pleasure of a film.
‘Tuntematon sotilas’ aka ‘The Unknown Soldier’ Film Review: A Far Cry From the Masterful Novel
Aku Louhimies’ version doesn’t do justice to the original masterpiece.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ Film Review: A Visual Masterpiece That Will Make You Laugh, Cry and Sweat
Denis Villeneuve’s work is outstanding.
‘Rendel’ Film Review: The First Finnish Superhero Film Is a Violent Mess
I give Rendel an A for effort.
‘It’ Film Review: You’ll Be Scared of the Clown Too
Andy Muschietti’s ‘It’ is violent, gory, horrifying – multi layered; everything you would want from a modern horror movie.
‘Atomic Blonde’ Film Review: One of the Best Martial Arts Films in a Decade
The days of leaving the fighting film genre in the hands of lifelong martial arts practitioners who rarely could act a scene are, indeed, history.
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Film Review: The Funniest Reboot of the Web-Head to Date
It makes you chuckle in your seat.
‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ Film Review: Bots And Banter In an Entertaining Package
The latest installment of the Transformers franchise will keep you entertained.
‘The Mummy’ Film Review: Whatever the Film Lacks, Tom Cruise Compensates
‘The Mummy’ is a Tom Cruise vehicle and a decent watch.
‘Wonder Woman’ Film Review: A Superheroine in a Super Film, Who Doesn’t Spare Evil Men
Wonder Woman kicks male ass in an entertaining feature-length film.
‘Alien: Covenant’ Film Review: Weird Sci-fi Mess That Is For True Fans Only
The latest installment of the Alien series gets boring pretty fast.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Film Review: The Group of Space Misfits Deliver the Fun
The group of space misfits are back to bring the fun on the silver screen.
‘Fast & Furious 8’ Film Review: A Four-Star Film, If You Accept That Vin Diesel Can’t Act
With the aid of a simple premise, you don't have to worry about not seeing the previous ones.
Linnea Skog, 13, Grabs the Prize for Best Actress at the Finnish Film Awards
Here are the highlights of Jussi Awards.
‘Life’ Film Review: A Fast Space Horror That Just Works
The fight against one unfriendly space octopus is a real thriller.
‘Moonlight’ Film Review: A Social Document of Sexual Identity and Masculinity
The film takes an intimate close-up perspective on a young man’s search for identity, sexual identity and masculinity, leaving the viewer touched, horrified, sad and hear-aching at the same time.
‘Tom of Finland’ Film Review: Art or Hardcore Gay Sex Imagery? – It’s about life
Dome Karukoski's film about Touko Laaksonen, the Finnish homoerotic artist who became popular around the world, is a gem.
‘Vaiana’ Film Review: A Sunny Vacation With the Price of a Movie Ticket
In the depths of the Finnish winter, people dream of sunnier climes; a beach perhaps somewhere in the South Pacific. Vaiana takes you there.
‘La La Land’ Film Review: Hollywood Clichés in Colorful Musical
Clichéd? Sure. But Emma Stone sings a wonderful ode to every creative person who has been struggling to be accepted.
‘Passengers’ Film Review: Platitudes in Space
In Passengers, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt share banalities in the cosmos.
‘Assassin’s Creed’ Film Review: Bad, Bad, Bad
The fight and action scenes are below average and the plot is less than intriguing.
‘Collateral Beauty’ Film Review: One of the Best Feel-Good Films in Decades
It's also one of Will Smith's best performances, one that should be nominated for an Oscar.
‘Inferno’ Film Review: A Fun Ride Through Western Europe’s Heritage Sites
Apart from some of the eye-rolling points and a few more, the film was entertaining and was fast-paced and well-cast.
‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ Film Review: Stellar Cast and Interesting Visuals
The fantastical Tim Burton is back. In a good way.
News
‘Blair Witch’ Film Review: A Scaremonger With a Capital ‘S’
When the darkness falls, the trip into the Black Hill forest turns into one of the year’s biggest scaremongers.
‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’: Film Review
Renee Zellweger was as charming as ever, but for some reason, the soft lines around her eyes made her so much more relatable.
‘Teit meistä kauniin’ Film Review: One Of the Best Finnish Films To Come Out This Year and Beyond
While the story of the teenaged punk/rock group pushing off from a small town of Heinola in Päijänne region itself is intriguing, the subplot of the depression in the early ’90s is a real kicker.
‘Bodom’ Film Review: A Lackluster Gore-Fest, Where The Actors Are Too Good For the Film
‘Bodom’ fails to walk in the footsteps of the most famous Finnish unsolved triple murder case.
‘Lights Out’ Film Review: Think Twice Before Turning Off the Lights
‘Lights Out’ is the best horror film to have come out this year.
‘Star Trek Beyond’: Film Review
‘Star Trek Beyond’ delivers stunning effects and a compassionate story. What’s not to like?
‘Ghostbusters’: Film Review
The new Ghostbusters may have had an uphill battle to be taken seriously as comedic summer blockbuster potential, but the controversy only made the cast shine more brightly.
‘Independence Day: Resurgence’: Film Review
The aliens are ready to take over the Earth in a weak sequel.
‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’: Film Review
Witty, whimsical, and often nonsensical is a pretty accurate description of the Alice in Wonderland sequel.
Finnish Film About Boxer Olli Mäki Grabs the First Prize in a Tough Competition at Cannes Film Festival
This is the first award in the category for a film from Finland.
Award-Winning Actress Croze Praises Her Finnish Counterpart Mikko Nousianen’s English in ‘2 Nights Till Morning’
In the intense Finnish relationship drama ‘2 Nights Till Morning’ the dialogue is gripping in English.
Michael Moore’s ‘Where to Invade Next’ Idolises the Finnish Education System
Michael Moore takes on the world in the search for a way to help the USA become “great” again.
‘Eddie the Eagle’: Film Review
The story of a determined and relentless British ski jumper who wowed audiences at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics hits the big screen with success.
‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’: Film Review
The long-awaited confrontation of these two DC heavyweights follows on from ‘Man of Steel’, and attempts to build an even more tangible image of grandiosity.
Miekkailija ‘The Fencer’ Wins the Jussi for Best Film – Here Are the Highlights of the Finnish Film Awards
Here are the highlights of 2015 Jussi Awards, the most prestigious prize ceremony of the Finnish film industry.
I Asked the Director of War and Peace of Mind How He Created the Masterpiece
Sota ja mielenrauha is in my mind one of the best films I have seen dealing with the, unfortunately, all-too-common perils of war.
‘Room’: Film Review
Room portrays a conflict of two forces: one born free, the other in captivity. It’s a masterpiece.
‘The Brothers Grimsby’: Film Review
The Brothers Grimsby is a strange cocktail of Austin Powers meets Ali G, with tinges of Bond and the intensity of Borat/Bruno, the latter major hits in Finland in the late 2000s.
‘Carol’: Film Review
Carol is nominated for 6 Oscars, including Best Cinematography. The finer details and dialogue are the true draw of this film.
‘Deadpool’: Film Review
Deadpool delivers with a strong screenplay and a lead actor perfect for the job. What more can you wish for?
News
‘The Danish Girl’: Film Review
If one is looking for a gritty, hard edged drama from ‘The Danish Girl’, keep walking.
‘The Revenant’: Film Review
Leonardo DiCaprio gives a performance of his life in the epic saga, The Revenant, and he doesn’t even talk much.
DocPoint 2016: Immigration and Ghosts of Finland’s War-torn Past Dominate This year’s Documentary Film Festival
The 15th annual DocPoint festival kicks off today, bringing to Helsinki some of the best-received documentary films of the last year.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Oh, How I Missed My Family!
It is brilliant, a huge space adventure that indulges the nostalgia of the first three films whilst simultaneously bringing the franchise up to date.
Creed Is a Five Star Knockout
It’s Imposing. It’s Powerful. It’s the boxing film for the new generation.
FILM REVIEW: 007 Spectre is Confusing And a Bit Weak if Anything
Due to the incredible success of the last Bond film Skyfall, I was pretty sure that Mendes would play it safe and give us something in a similar vein, but the more I think about the film the more I think Skyfall may have been a fluke.
Dheepan Offers a Thrilling View Into the Life of Migrants
With the migrant crisis growing, it’s hard to find a film as current as the French director Jacques Audiard’s Dheepan. It’s also hard to find a film as good as Dheepan.
Äidin Toive is a Mesmerizing Documentary of the Affection of Mothers
In Äidin toive (Mother’s Wish), the Finnish documentarist, Joonas Berghäll, succeeds in capturing the gracious love and importance of mothers around the world; their fears, hopes and dreams.
If You Need a Night Out, Napapiirin Sankarit 2 May Be Your Thing
The film has genuine heart.
Film Review: The Visit is Funny, Scary and Humane
The Visit is one of the scariest horror films to come out this year. It’s also funny and shines in portraying the brother-sister relations beautifully.
FILM REVIEW: Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck Is One of the Year’s Funniest
Amy Schumer writes and stars in a hilarious comedy of relationships.
Putin Provoking Director Peter Greenaway To Finland For His Gay Biopic
The British auteur, Peter Greenaway, will be this year’s major red carpet figure at the Espoo Ciné film festival.
Here Are the Highlights of Espoo Ciné Film Festival
We asked three of Finland’s most critically acclaimed film directors and screen-writers for their tips on what to see at Espoo Ciné this year.
Film Review: Fantastic Four Feels Like an Extended Film Trailer
Unfortunately most preconceived notions of this latest FF4 being celluloid crappery are quite accurate this time.
Birds and Stones May Break His Bones But Tom Cruise Just Wants to Entertain
Sitting still for over two hours is a relatively long time, isn’t it? But not when you are watching Tom Cruise’s latest flick, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
In Super Entertaining Ant-Man Smaller Becomes Bigger
In Ant-Man, the superhero shrinks in an entertaining interpretation of the relatively unknown Marvel hero in the summer’s blockbuster.
It Follows Pulls the Viewer to the Verge of Paranoia
Imagine a one-night stand and after that an extraterrestrial beast will follow you to the end of your life.
Terminator Genisys Kick-Starts Another Round of Sequels – Oh, and See this in 2D
I’ll say straight off the bat that I walked in to Terminator Genisys with a strong sense of “why is this franchise being dredged up again”?
In Jurassic World You Can Almost Smell the Dinosaur’s Breath
Dare to take a ride in the Jurassic World?
PICTURES AND REVIEW: Entourage Delivers the Fun and Chills
Entourage (2015), which is based on the award-winning hit HBO series, is sure going to be the hit movie of the summer.
News
This is Why ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Receives Five Stars
Mark Fletcher, a diehard Mad Max fan, reviews Fury Road.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Acting in Maggie is Superb But Don’t Expect Him to Blast Zombies Across the Walls
Maggie (2015) is a zombie film but not of the traditional kind. Those expecting a bloody splatter film, where Schwarzenegger’s shotgun sends zombie brains across small town walls are going to be disappointed. However, those ready to see Arnold in a character role unlike seen before are going to be delighted and maybe even surprised.
The Thrilling Henkesi Edestä Casts Phenomenal Actors Tangled in a Web of Lies
Petri Kotwica’s Henkesi Edestä (For Your Life) is a torturing thriller and will leave you exhausted after the full 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Miekkailija ‘The Fencer’ is The Best Finnish Film in a Decade
The Fencer premieres on Friday March 13 and is the best Finnish film since Härö’s last masterpiece a decade ago.
Luokkakokous Is Funny If You Find Humour In the Word ‘Pussy’
Have you seen The Hangover? Luokkakokous by director Taneli Mustonen resembles the 2009 Hollywood flick, but instead of situated in Las Vegas, this one focuses in Naantali, which some, however, call the Las Vegas of Finland.
FILM REVIEW: Fifty Shades of Grey attempts to rewrite the script of love
Dakota’s role as Anastasia is the best part of the film. Her screen presence and how she acts the role of the innocence and determination and the naivety, however just subtle enough, to keep the viewer on toes.
I wish there were more films like Theo’s House
Theo’s House is one of those films that leave you thinking about love, life and the shortness of it.
DocPoint pulls a record crowd of about 30,000
DocPoint breaks the record amount of spectators in the history of the six-day-long documentary festival with almost 30,000 visitors in Helsinki.
Ne Me Quitte Pas suggests that without pain there is no pleasure
In ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’ (2013) we see this two-man support team rolling aimlessly through the days following Marcel’s breakup with his wife as the two of them attempt to answer the surreal question of “how it’s all going to end.”
We Were Rebels – a fusion of rugged political landscape and optimism
We Were Rebels offers a cross-section of the rugged political landscape as well the eternal optimism of a population that knows nothing besides struggle and destruction.
Who the Devil Can See in the Dark – a search for the missing father
Finnish director Mari Soppela takes us through a different rabbit’s hole in 2015 with Who the Devil Can See in the Dark (2014).
Emptying the Skies exposes the brutal world of bird traps
Conner Mckissack reviews Douglas Kass’s 2013 documentary ‘Emptying the Skies’.
“Every series is supposed to bring significant content on the big screen”
The world changes but there is one subject that sticks: Russia,” says Ulla Simonen, the artistic director of DocPoint documentary film festival, during the opening ceremony at the Savoy theatre on Tuesday evening.
DocPoint showcases a total of 166 documentaries – starts today
Eleven Finnish documentary films from 2014 will be shown at the DocPoint documentary festival at the end of January. They are all subtitled in English.