ThiefHott Too much of everything

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

viccbitovski I saw this film in the film fest in Skopje,i cannot remember what year.2002 or something?...However,after the end of the movie i felt very satisfied.What i like it most is that this film is made totally different from most of the films making in Europe.With no intention at all,maybe low budget film,director of this movie made his own triumph.Describing a perfectly well the characters through they own culture of living,everyone speaking his own language, this comedy story is perfect.Although the WW2 is in the many films using subjects,its no pathetic at all,because of the simple facts that is original narrated.Its more difficult to create a comedy then any other genre.One film the pure essence of cinema!

vino-katse I did like the idea of bringing people of three different tongues together, and the comedy that followed. Once everyone was safely inside the kota (the Saami tent) the movie was quite enjoyable.Unfortunately, before that it was quite tedious. The story of the chained sniper simply wasn't believable at all, rather ridiculous instead, and while the friendly fire incident on the Russian side could have happened, together the two were a bit too much.Also, I found Haapasalo's lines about war clumsy, preachy and stiff. He was talking as if reading from a book: while people do often write in a formal manner here in Finland, very few actually talk like that. Those who do are usually considered great bores. Since I don't speak Russian or Saami, I can't tell whether the other characters suffered from the same problem.Visually the film was excellent in places (especially with landscapes), and the story had potential, but could use quite a bit of improvement in the first third of the script.

gradyharp THE CUCKOO (Kukushka) is a small miracle of a film. It is not only a unique story but one that draws us into the individual lives of three people form different languages and backgrounds who bond in time of war because of their mutual isolation. It is at once charming, gently humorous, and deeply touching.Taking place during WW II during the little known Russo-Finnish War, the setting is Lapland. We first encounter a Finnish student/soldier Veikko (Ville Haapasalo) being chained by the Russians to a rock in a German SS uniform as punishment for his disillusionment in the war effort, thinking that he will be killed as the enemy. In another area some Russian soldiers are transporting a Russian poet/soldier Ivan (Viktor Bychkov) condemned for his anti-Communist stance: the jeep transporting Ivan is bombed, killing the soldiers except for Ivan. Along comes a little Lapp girl Anni (Anni-Kristiina Juuso), finds the severely injured Ivan, drags him to her hut and nurses him back to health. Meanwhile Veikko ingeniously frees himself from his rock and wanders into the presence of Anni. Veikko speaks Finnish, Ivan speaks Russian and Anni (aka 'Cuckoo') speaks Sami and the three cannot understand each other's language or customs. Ivan sees Veikko as a fascist and wants to destroy him; Veikko never wanted to be in the war anyway so he pacifies Ivan; Anni is more concerned with basic physical needs (her husband has been gone four years, conscripted by the armed forces for a war she doesn't understand and she is hungry for the presence of a man in her bed!). The story explains the manner in which these three people intertwine their lives and beliefs and overcome the barriers of language to form a trio of true universal family. The war ends and the three 'bodies' separate, leaving behind indelible evidence of their transforming experiences.Writer/director Aleksandr Rogozhkin has created a masterpiece, a film brimming with beauty of visuals, of warmly humorous exchanges of dialog understood only by each speaker, of survival and of the mystery of life beyond. The acting is superb, the cinematography is breathtaking, and the message is deeply moving. In the field of strong anti-war statements, THE CUCKOO is the most sincere. A brilliant achievement! Grady Harp

multimail-2 Fascinating film this, in many ways.Slow to start, as the conscientious objector is nailed to a rock as bait following the ending of WW2 hostilities in Scandanavia. The director takes is through a sometimes quite painfully slow process as or young soldier fights a battle with a nail and chain. The scene when the chain gets released is a relief.The scenery, the close-ups, the human facial reactions throughout carry this film well. I can't understand why some friends of mine say they cannot watch subtitled films - here we have no choice - though non verbal communication or body language is clearly universal, even in adversity.My favourite scene: when the young soldier suffers from the Russian guys bullet. He drifts away into unconsciousness and is bought back the Saami woman's traditional trance like spell - the scene cuts to a young boy in white (angel of death) leading our character away, only to be pulled back to the present at the very end.As someone interested in people and communications this film is a classic - ends beautifully and the camera-work throughout is wonderful.Watch it a few times, be sure to catch the humour!