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LEVOTTOMAT

"Who's Screwing Who?"
Directed by Aku Louhimies - Written by Aku Louhimies
Starring Laura Malmivaara, Mikko Nousiainen, Irina Björklund, Matleena Kuusniemi
Distributed by Buena Vista - 2000 - 111m - Rated R

TC Candler's Review

B+

 
Who knew that the Finnish could be this sexy?
 
Take the hit NBC show 'Friends'... Feed the entire cast a massive overdose of downers and Viagra... And with that miracle concoction, you have this Finnish relationship drama, "Levottomat".

The plot revolves around a group of 6 acquaintances, of varying form, but centers on one character named Ari.  Ari is virtually devoid of emotion in both areas of his life.  Professionally, he works as a paramedic, competently doing his job without actually investing any emotion in the outcome of the patients he treats.  His personal life consists of banging anything with a vagina... Alright, not anything... He is able to get his grubby hands all over some delightfully sexy Finnish tail.

One of those delicacies comes in the form of the gorgeous Laura Malmivaara, a statuesque blonde beauty he meets at the beach one afternoon.  An hour later, he is entangled in her arms and legs, and as a result, in her life too.  Her friends become his friends.  Her apartment becomes his apartment.  He is in the one thing he cannot seem to stand... a relationship.

Soon, he is making headway with the other two girls in the group of six.  His sexual exploits cause rifts and explosive confrontations within the group, virtually tearing at the fabric of their friendships.  He evolves into a virtual cancer for the other five.

I really liked the way this film explored each and every character fully.  Ari may be the central figure, but the other five each get enough screen time for them to matter to the audience.

The cast exudes sex appeal and intelligence in abundance.  This was probably a tough film to shoot, both emotionally and physically.  I say physically because the film does not shy away from the sexual scenes... it dives head first into the intimacy, showing things that American films could not get away with without earning an X rating from the MPAA.

This film is frank and honest.  It is an exploration of infidelity and the repercussions of it within a group of friends.  "Levottomat" may be the only film I have ever seen from Finland... but the talent involved here makes me want to see more.  This is a rare film, especially in the west, but if you can find it on DVD, I strongly suggest giving it a try.

 
© Written by TC Candler - Email Me!

How We Rated This Film

TC Candler -

B+
Richard Propes -    
Jacob Hall -    

Richard Propes' Comment

n/a

Jacob Hall's Comment

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