Suden vuosi (2007)

Director:

Olli Saarela

Writers:

Virpi Hämeen-Anttila (book)
Jimmy Karlsson (script doctor)

Release Date:

2 February 2007 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Love | Older Man Younger Woman | Divorce | Epilepsy | May December Romance

Cast

Krista Kosonen	...	Sari Karaslahti
Kari Heiskanen	...	Mikko Groman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anne-Mari Alaspää	...	Riikka
Stig Fransman
Kristiina Halttu	...	Sari's mother
Pekka Hanni
Kalle Holmberg
Tea Ista
Manna Jäntti	...	Heidi
Katariina Kaitue	...	Marjatta Jokela
Aarre Karén
Aksa Korttila	...	Lotta
Susanna Laine	...	Mia
Oiva Lohtander	...	Otto Johansson
Jukka Puotila	...	Sari's father
Olli Rahkonen	...	Matias
Johanna Af Schulten	...	Mikaela - Mikko's wife
Maria Sid
Tarja-Tuulikki Tarsala
Jorma Tommila	...	Jarkko Salminen
Kai Vaine	...	Ilari
Ville Virtanen	...	Leif

Also Known As:

The Year of the Wolf (International: English title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-13

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Matila Röhr Productions (MRP)

Soundtrack:

Facing Yourself

Searching fearlessness

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Suden Vuosi" in English "The Year of The Wolf".

This movie was a nice surprise. I wished to see something innocent and pure as the poster of this movie promised. For my relief the promise was fulfilled.

Sari is a intelligent student in a university and Mikko is her teacher. At the same time Sari is lonely with her illness and Mikko fumbles through divorce. Slowly Sari and Mikko start to find peculiar consolation in a unconventional relationship.

In the beginning, the leading character, Sari, has a spell of fainting. She suffers epilepsy and when she is unconscious, the element of water and darkness takes over the subconscious. Transparent touch persists beautifully through the movie. The story develops without difficulty and the characters are believable and alive. Even dialog, which often is a stumbling block in Finnish movies, works well.

"Suden Vuosi" handled serious subjects as divorce and fear of death, still the movie contained excellent scenes where the events and characters were hilarious. Thanks to the writer Mika Ripatti and great leading actors, Krista Kosonen and Kari Heiskanen, there was a good balance between darkness and light.

My favorite person was Mikko's 15 years old daughter Lotta, who in the beginning of the movie tried to ask what is wrong with him and mum. The timing and ingredients of comedy between father and daughter worked magnificent in that scene.

Successful calmness and genuineness are rare elements in Finnish movies. There were couple scenes and images that in my opinion are little too heavy or exaggerated, but in the end the entity is strong. This is a movie for busy women who need to sit down, relax and see pretty pictures.