Purge (2012)

I've read Sofi Oksanen book before seeing the film and for me that's obvious that we have here a great film based on a great book. Usually the historic event crush individual lives and destinies, but sometimes is really amassing how peoples can react so different and how unexpected individual desires mixed up with historical event can generate dramas. This film also remembered me another one, a Romanian one, "Somewhere in the East", made after Augustin Buzura's novel "Fetele tacerii", part of the subject being related.

I'll admit that this isn't the kind of film I would have watched had I known more about it. What got me interested was a review in Empire magazine's Video Dungeon column, written by Kim 'Nightmare Movies' Newman which said that this contained a Frightfest (UK horror festival) full of exploitation all in one film. He did however go on to qualify this.Yes, there are several very uncomfortable scenes which could have been exploitative, but they were all in context over a two hour running time, and I certainly didn't expect to be almost crying by the end. The acting was superb (particularly Laura Birn in a brave role I'd imagine most actresses would kill for), and I really felt for the female characters.Maybe 'enjoyable' or 'entertaining' are not the right words to describe such a bleak film. But it will keep you gripped, and you would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by it. I voted it 7/10 at first, but I'll have to check whether you can change your rating, as it's now an 8 in my book.

Finland - The land of Santa Clause, reindeer, snow, alcohol, sauna and dark movies. Yet, another movie in this category. Most viewers of Finnish movies probably know Aki Kaurismäki's movies, one of the few Finns who ever got successful abroad. But what have we got here? A movie based on a book by Sofie Oksanen, an Estonian-Finnish writer. It is dark, it is painful, but nothing like we're used to. It's darker, it's more painful. The movie tells of rape, of murder, of prostitution, of human trafficking. It tells us the story of two tortured souls who, in the end, can finally be free.The movie is one of the best movies I have seen in a while, and surely the best non-English speaking movie that I've had the chance to watch lately. The acting is excellent, the story thankfully close to the book and the atmosphere soaks you right into the world of Aliide and Zara. Indeed, you get so captivated that sometimes it's hard to choke down your urge to scream.If you have any chance, watch the movie and make your own picture of it. Nonetheless, be warned, people with quite a weak stomach should abstain from watching this movie because of its rather disturbing pictures.Given you enjoyed this one, you might also like "Lilya 4-ever" (2002).

Puhdistus (aka Purge) is a well executed drama based on a book by Sofi Oksanen. It pictures the torments of the people of Estonia in the soviet era without being a historical drama. It tells a story of two sisters, of their love to a same man which leads to a deception and ultimate disappointment. A young woman who is brought back by a coincidence is also connected to their past in the beginning.For a finnish movie with a limited budget this is absolutely the film of the year or maybe a film of the few decades. There'd been nothing like this coming out from the finnish cinema until now. Finnish movies consists of mainly farce comedies, dull historical movies, war movies and that's just about all. Antti J. Jokinen breaks this eternal line of just average ordinary movies by bringing us a film with a beautiful cinematography, fantastic camera work, strong actor performance and an interesting plot. It is loyal to the book but it wouldn't be fair to judge the film and book against each other as with films it has to be consistent and quite solid up until the end and the book can go deeper.The movie itself is very straight forward film with nothing left to question. That may be one drawback among a few others that kept me from giving this movie full ten stars. The other issue is that the movie doesn't engage as much as it should. Scenes just roll from one to another quite fast and things just happen and that feeling may not be avoided just after the first hour. I guessed what was going to happen but still after the film i felt entertained and not at all disappointed.I also thought that presenting only one dimensional good vs. evil doesn't do the movie any good. These three three things just made me take a few stars off. It's still an enjoyable strong film that makes an impression but it's good for one time viewing only.Jokinen has succeeded with this film and i sure hope he has many other interesting films to direct in the future.