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Released by: Artsploitation Films
Released on: January 8, 2013.
Director: Dome Karukoski
Cast: Jussi Vatanen, Jasper Pí¤í¤kkí¶nen
Year: 2010
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The Movie:
Directed by Dome Karukoski in his native Finland, 2010's Lapland Odyssey begins with an opening scene in which some off screen narration gives us a history of the simple pine tree that the camera focuses on. We learn that this tree, situated in the middle of the small Scandinavian town of Lapland, has been the destination for suicidal men for decades, if not centuries. From here we meet a slacker named Janne who at the behest of his wife, Inari, has gone out with her fifty dollars to buy a box they need so that they can watch TV. As Janne doesn't have a job, he figures why not and after waking up late, heads out… only to meet up with two pals, Tapio and Kapu, and spend that money with them at the bar. He comes home later that day without the box, and his wife tells him he's got one more shot or she's going to split.
So with his marriage on the line, Janne decides to take things a little more seriously and to make up for his mistakes. He teams up with Tapio and Kapu to get the cable box his wife wants but of course, nothing can be easy. If ex-boyfriends aren't ruining the day there are nosey cops all about or reindeer causing problems or a girl that Tapio is obsessed with distracting him from helping his friend. If that weren't enough, there's also the matter of the odd Russians who seem to be popping up at random intervals. This is going to be a lot more work than Janne first realized…
On the surface Lapland Odyssey is an effective series of random comedic encounters that occur between the likeable Janne and his friends and the outside forces that seem destined to stop them from appeasing his pretty wife. Dig a bit deeper than that, however, and you find a comedy with enough heart to make this more than just a bunch of wacky circumstances featuring wacky characters strung together. Janne's friends honestly do care about him and he about his wife and as misguided and occasionally insane as these guys can all be, you can't help but like them as their hearts are more often than not obviously in the right place. When the going gets rough Tapio and Kapu stick by Janne as they realize how important this seemingly mundane task is to him, and as such, it becomes equally important to them even if they have nothing to gain personally by accomplishing it. Of course, as they go about this events happen in such a way that all three of the young men learn a little something about themselves and about the value of their friendship - but Karukoski is able to make this all happen without the movie ever getting to be as corny or sugary as this review is probably making it out to seem.
Beautifully shot and taking great advantage of the locations that Finland has to offer, Lapland Odyssey not only shows off some interesting aspects of Finnish life but does so with some simple yet very effective camera work. Use of color is also very impressive throughout the movie with the white backgrounds of the outdoor shots often allowing for some interesting shots that show great use of contrast. The cast are all very game here, each of the four principal players committing to their roles completely while the film is edited in such a way that it moves at a very good pace. On top of that, it's genuinely funny. This is one that will likely go under many a radar but if you appreciate quirky foreign comedy, the kind that simply can't be made in the Hollywood mainstream, do yourself a favor and check this out.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Lapland Odyssey looks really nice on DVD framed here at 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen. Color reproduction is beautiful and there are no problems with any damage or debris. Black levels are solid and there are no compression artifacts to note. Skin tones look lifelike and natural and there aren't any filtering or edge enhancement issues to complain about. All in all, this is a solid and colorful presentation of a very nicely shot movie.
The only audio option on the disc is a Finnish language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track with optional subtitles offered up in English only. No complaints here - the levels are properly balanced and the score sounds good. Dialogue comes through clearly without any level jumps and there are no problems with any hiss or distortion. The subtitles are easy to read and free of any noticeable typographical errors.
There aren't a ton of extras on the disc but Artsploitation has included a short film by Karukoski entitled Burungo which is similarly quirky and amusing as well as trailers for a few other Artsploitation Films releases. Menus and chapter stops are included as well. Inside the keepcase is a full color 8-page booklet which includes a director's introduction and an interview with Karukoski conducted by Travis Crawford.
The Final Word:
Light on extras, this is otherwise an excellent presentation of a really enjoyable and wholly unique European comedy that is well worth your time.
