Lovers and Leavers/ Lovers & Leavers
Kuutamolla

Finland 2002 colour 119min MRP Matila Röhr Productions Oy

***˝

Drama, romance, comedy

cast: Minna Haapkylä (Iiris Vaara), Peter Franzén (Marko), Anna-Leena Härkönen (Anna), Laura Malmivaara (Laura), Matti Ristinen (Sami), Pirkko Saisio, Veeti Kallio, Nicke Lignell
credits: dir. Aku Louhimies (also script with Katja Kallio), based on a novel by Katja Kallio, music Leri Leskinen, DOP Heikki Färm

A romantical comedy that comes from somewhere else but Hollywood really looks a bit different. Iiris Vaara is a 30 years old single woman. She's quiet and nice as her working place, the bookstore, quite opposite to her mother. Iiris loves romantical movies, her mother loves reality. Iiris needs some reality too but will she find it with a handsome movie director Marko?

The two funniest characters in the movie are played by Pirkko Saisio and writer/actress Anna-Leena Härkönen. Ms. Saisio's bohemian artist mother suits well in the story as does Ms. Härkönen's sex maniac. The best performances of the movie are given by the main star Minna Haapkylä and Matti Ristinen. Ms. Haapkylä makes her character loveable with her solid presence. Mr. Ristinen's character needs a little more time but in the end you'll love him too. When the cast is as good as this and everything else seems to be running well too, the main problem in this movie seems to be in the fact it looks too much like a mass product. The sense of Hollywood is too near. This is anyway a great film from director Aku Louhimes.

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