Paha perhe

I was afraid 'Paha Perhe' would turn out to be another one of those formulaic Kaurismäki-ish low key Finnish dramas spiced with an awkward sense of dark humour. Fortunately, the impression was deceiving.

The film is about a father (Mikael) and son (Daniel) whose daily routine is greatly disturbed after 'the lost daughter' (Tilda), who they haven't heard of in years, crashes into their lives after her mother passes away. As the story has it, this affects the father and son in an entirely different way..

Albeit a somewhat slow start, the film was beautifully filmed, it had nice and charismatic young actors; the theme was pretty thought- provoking and controversial, and there was also a healthy amount of suspense and drama. Regardless, this is still a rather light and uplifting movie.

Even though the film has no direct connections to the Icelandic "Nói Albínói", I found those two films to be somewhat similar--in addition to the general dreamy vibe, youthful actors, and witty humour, there's the motive of breaking off from the present moment by discovering something 'along the way'. When Noi (the young protagonist in "Nói Albínói") finds the means to try to escape the dull and mundane reality of the wintry Reykjavik in a girl working in the local gas station, then for Daniel, her sister Tilda--a free-spirited girl who is not afraid to challenge the safe middle class way of life--provides the means for Daniel to reevaluate his place in life. But, just like Noi, Daniel soon finds himself at odds both with his father and society. Yet, this movie doesn't judge anyone, neither does it lecture us, it doesn't pretend to be a moral vanguard--it simply tells a story of ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations.

Even though it is definitely a small-time film which will not reach a wider audience, it is definitely worth having a go at should you have the chance!

This Finnish family drama manages to build up suspense after starting off a rather slow first 15 minutes. We get to know a broken family's response to a mother's death. A well respected lawyer who is left behind bringing up his son, when the addict of a mother leaves. An estranged daughter which left with her mother and turns up, now in her early 20'ies, to live with them when the mother dies. A younger son - with another woman - in a relation that is growing bad. An old father with severe alzheimer, and a stone face, which still seems to get what's happening. An estranged family, where no natural family relations have had time and grounds to grow.

The family father, played brilliantly by Ville Virtanen, is unsuccessfully trying to keep the facade and make a difference when he suspects the daughter is having a bad influence on her brother, and even suspects them being too close. But he isn't able to be more than a witness, except that he contributes to what seems like a disaster.

The film functions well due to the excitement the film is able to build up, as the father wonders how to deal with his problems. Whatever you think about how the family deals with their differences, the film is well worth a watch.