Pearls and Pigs
Helmiä ja sikoja

Finland 2003 colour 113min Talent House

***

Comedy, Drama, Crime

cast: Mikko Leppilampi (Läde), Laura Birn (Laura), Amanda Pilke (Saara), Timo Lavikainen (Ruho), Unto Helo (Timo), Jimi Pääkallo (Poju), Pekka Valkeejärvi (father), Outi Mäenpää, Antti Reini, Antti Virmavirta, Matti Onnismaa, Sakari Kuosmanen, Risto Salmi
credits: dir. & script Perttu Leppä, music Pauli Hanhiniemi etc.

A family of four sons and a father makes their living as small time crooks. When the father is finally jailed, his sons has to figure out how to survive alone. Läde must become the boss of "the pigs" (which in this case means of course his family). That's hard since their father's debts are now theirs and the guys, who want the money, are not the kindest. And that's not all - the boys must also take care of their shy and sweet little sister, who they never knew to exist before!

The best part of this flick is its well-done casting and the intensive acting performances (especially Mikko Leppilampi, the little Amanda Pilke and Pekka Valkeejärvi are great in their roles). Otherwise, although the story has potential to be not only fun but also thrilling, Perttu Leppä hasn't succeeded to put everything together in the best way. Some things are repeated too many times and that makes some scenes too long and only half-important.

TRIVIA: Jimi Pääkallo is the one of the two cast members in this film who is really a singer. (Sakari Kuosmanen is the other.)

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