"A Respectable Tragedy"
Säädyllinen murhenäytelmä (En Anständig tragedi)

Finland 1998 colour 112 min Kinotaurus Oy

****

Drama

cast: Ville Virtanen (Tauno Saarinen), Timo Jurkka (Artur), Päivi Akonpelto (Elisabeth Saarinen), Henriikka Salo (Naimi Saarinen), Kyllikki Forssell (Ada), Maria Järvenhelmi (Jenni), Kati Outinen
credits: dir. and edit. Kaisa Rastimo, based on a novel by Helvi Hämäläinen, script Kaisa Rastimo and Michae Baran, DOP Tuomo Virtanen, music Toivo Kuula and Jovanka Trobojevic, assistant director Aleksi Bardy

It's the late 1930's. Elisabeth (Päivi Akonpelto) finds out that her husband has a lover. A girl from neighbour. Elisabeth runs to her husband's sister, to ask an advice. But the sister doesn't find there any problem, of course, Elisabet's sister has a more twisted life. Her problems are bigger. Her ex-husband is addicted to his own mother and sex. She loves still him.

The story is old, but Kaisa Rastimo has this certain ability to make everything to look very fresh and interesting. Although there's a tragedy going on, the world of the film looks like a paradise and sounds like thousands bells would be ringing all of the time. It's lovely and ironic.

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