David Farnor | On 13, Mar 2014

Director: Márton Jelinkó
Cast: Kristiina Puukko, Heidi Lindén, Juha-Tapio Arola
Watch online: Raindance Releasing

They must not have The Flight of the Conchords in Finland. Otherwise, biology student Elli (Lindén) would know that like Brett, she doesn’t have to be a prostitute. But alas, without the Kiwi folk duo to set her straight, off into the street world she goes to try and make ends meet. After all, she can’t pawn her grandma’s pearls again.

Her slide into the seedy Scandinavian underworld is superbly handled, with Lindén’s initial curiosity giving way to excitement, then necessity, then fear. But at no point does it feel exploitative or trashy – even when a bloke enters the frame as the redeeming love interest.

Why? Partly because he’s no nice guy himself. He’s a debt collector. And he’s involved with his icy enforcement colleague, Iris (Puukko). At first appearing as one of the lads, Iris reveals herself to be fierce and independent – she’ll shout at the football with the boys, sure, but when they ask her to bring over the hooker from the bar, she makes it clear where they can go.

It’s how these two antagonists meet that sets Márton Jelink and Eira Virekoski’s script apart. Shot with skill and acted by two talented leads, it’s a compelling – and, when the shocking final act arrives, completely unpredictable – demonstration of what happens when two immovable objects collide. And how thrilling, how refreshing, for those objects to be rounded, morally complex female characters. If this duo could play guitar too, Flight of the Conchords would be quaking in their boots.

 

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