Tamsin Scott writes:
When thinking of words to describe a film, 'frustrating' is often one that comes to mind. Charming, too, but not usually to describe the same film. However, these are the two words that sprung to the forefront of my mind within the first ten minutes of The Grump and stuck there throughout its entirety. The main storyline of The Grump attempting to fit in with modern day society after a draining accident had me cringing at every turn, from his racist comments to his ill fated advice.
Sally Bavage writes:
The Cinage 'short' that preceded the Finnish main film was entitled 'Stormy Weather' and was a poignant look at the dying of the light for one of a pair of sisters. Simply done and very affecting. Cinage is such a good local opportunity for our community to take part in the actualité and the verité of film-making.
When thinking of words to describe a film, 'frustrating' is often one that comes to mind. Charming, too, but not usually to describe the same film. However, these are the two words that sprung to the forefront of my mind within the first ten minutes of The Grump and stuck there throughout its entirety. The main storyline of The Grump attempting to fit in with modern day society after a draining accident had me cringing at every turn, from his racist comments to his ill fated advice.
Antti Litja as Mielensäpahoittaja |
The juxtaposition between the modern woman ‘The
Missus’ to the virtually prehistoric title character didn’t
seem over-dramatic, as I’m sure everyone knows what it’s
like to have a family member that you stare at, slack jawed and wide eyed when
they come out with something completely inappropriate. However, you couldn’t
help but be charmed by his interactions with his granddaughters, and the way he
took care of his paralysed wife showed a more sensitive side to the ageing
farmer.
The flashbacks made me feel nostalgic for a life I never led, and the
colour palette of the entire film made it a joy to watch. The ending, however
predictable, was a lovely reminder that no matter what differences families
have, they can always be solved by baking some sweet buns. If nothing else,
this film reminded me to give my Grandad a call.
Sally Bavage writes:
The Cinage 'short' that preceded the Finnish main film was entitled 'Stormy Weather' and was a poignant look at the dying of the light for one of a pair of sisters. Simply done and very affecting. Cinage is such a good local opportunity for our community to take part in the actualité and the verité of film-making.
Audience Comments
The film, as
usual, was interesting, unusual, intriguing
Another great
evening with Films@Heart. I enjoyed the short and the main feature was
excellent
Quite a mixture
of human relationships – father and son/husband and wife – and the reaction of
a very old man to modern life. Amusing,
farcical and touching – varied background of both urban, glitzy Helsinki ad
very rural Finnish farmland
Well acted. Was a very suitable viewing for anyone who
had done the Cinage course. On that we
saw several films about ageing.
Interesting to see views of Finland
Excellent film
Interesting film
Todella upea!
(Ed. 'Really cool!' in Finnish)
It's a really
nice selection we could see. It gave me
a lot of inspiration and opened the broad view about generation and
ageing. Thank you
Very good. Interesting story about an old man. It took me a while to get into the film but
eventually it became quite funny.
I like Scandi
humour. Quirky and thought it looked
good. Very moving - funny bits, sad
bits, quirky bits, thoughtful. Thanks.
Really enjoyed
it
Most enjoyable –
some humour in parts – by Finnish standards laugh-a-minute
Interesting and
thought-provoking. An antidote to
Hollywood
Fine
Excellent film
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