Kielletty hedelmä

This surprising film introduces us to a contemporary, conservative Lutheran sect with over 100,000 members in Finland through the lives of two 18-year old girls of the sect, one of whom rebels against her religion's taboos (no TV, no dancing, no make-up, no alcohol, no sex before marriage and no kissing before marriage) by leaving her village in northern Finland to visit the "evil" big city Helsinki and experience "life." The second 18-year old girl is sent by church elders to follow the rebel, watch over her, and keep her from falling into sin and ending up in eternal hell.

Now we have a situation that promises to bring about something of interest, and it does. The story continues with the familiar inner conflict of desiring forbidden experiences and how each individual reacts to the big city's temptations. Not to give away the story further, I'll just say the two girls in question are easy on the eyes and the director certainly knows it. My only criticism might be the understandable yet slightly too frequent lingering on the faces of these lovely girls, but this is certainly a minor criticism.

I highly recommend this beautifully done film!