A film by Lauri-Matti Parppei
With: Samuel Kujala, Anna Rosaliina Kauno, Kaisa-Leena Koskenkorva, Camille Auer, Mari Rantasila, Jarkko Pajunen
Successful classical flutist Pauli returns to his small hometown after a breakdown. Reconnecting with old schoolmate Iiris, he is drawn into experimental music. Pauli, who has always sought perfection, is drawn to her chaotic energy, and finds comfort in their sonic experiments.
Our rate: **
In the first feature film by musician and filmmaker Lauri Matti Parppei, music is a central art form. It pays homage to the liberating power of experimental music through the story of a romantic encounter between a flautist and a multi-instrumentalist punk musician. Two very different artistic worlds collide, attempting to understand each other, adapt to one another, and create a fusion. Not only are the (numerous) scenes of musical creation and experimentation the film’s most powerful and best-executed, but the resulting pieces are also interesting to listen to, becoming increasingly beautiful and disturbing as the story progresses. The success of the film’s musical composition demonstrates the filmmaker’s deep understanding of his subject matter. Furthermore, Samuel Kujala‘s presence in the role of a young man affected by a situation of psychological fragility, who discovers new artistic talents and emotional capacities within himself, is compelling.
On the other hand, Lauri Matti Parppei chooses a very classic setting for his film, which turns out to be a romantic comedy that is ultimately quite predictable in terms of narrative, quite clichéd in terms of the scripting of the stages of the budding relationship between the two characters, and makes no attempt at experimentation with regard to cinematic language. This choice spoils the potential of this film, which could otherwise have stood out much more.
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