Film No. 50. THE MISSILE (OHJUS). Palace, Aust Scandinavian Film Fest (2024). 31st July.

 

Film No. 50 (2024) July 31st.  1:20 PM  LUNA CINEMA, Cinema 1,  Leederville.

"Matti Nevala stood in the snow, looking sorrowfully at his melancholy tractor." (Niina listens to Esko, her editor, read the lame introduction to her first story, aloud).

 WINNER: Best Acress (Oona Airola) Goteborg IFF 2024.

Is OHJUS a tightly edited tale which never really convinces us it is either a romantic comedy or an edgy drama dealing with very serious themes? To my eyes it is the latter, but 30 to 45 year olds are loving the antics of likable Niina (Oona Airola).

So, our central character, Niina, an accident prone single mother, takes us into her life in a freezing cold small town in Lapland. The local newspaper keeps the community connected. Niina inherits a  role as a journalist, where nothing much happens. Editor Esko tells her as much. So, yes, you guessed it; something happens! A missile (Russian) crashes in the tundra close by. VIP's of all sorts arrive in town. Something is going down, and Niina is our eyes and ears here. It is more fun, than cutting edge, but themes of world destruction and domestic violence are hard to dismiss with a giggle. Well, for me that was the case.

OHJIS is unique. Maybe it cuts new ground with the moral dilemmas we are regularly exposed to. The performances (particularly Airola), the editing, and the settings will fill your senses. See, I'm already coming around!   8GUMS.