Hymypoika (2003)

Director:

Jukka-Pekka Siili

Writers:

Jaajo Linnonmaa (idea)
Jukka Vieno (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 December 2004 (Hungary)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Viimeisenä seisoo rakkaus

Plot Keywords:

Youth | Threesome | Betrayal | Public Nudity | Male Frontal Nudity

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Jussi Nikkilä	...	Taavi
Reino Nordin	...	Jere
Jarkko Niemi	...	Markus
Jenni Banerjee	...	Reetta
Ville Kivelä	...	Sami
Mervi Takatalo	...	Mira
Evi Suppala	...	Jenni
Laura Malmivaara	...	Helena Pääkkönen
Ville Virtanen	...	Jeren isä Juhani
Kari Heiskanen	...	Juristi
Kari Hietalahti	...	Taavin isä
Milka Ahlroth	...	Taavin ätti
Esko Mäkelä	...	Nettideittimies
Elina Stirkkinen	...	Nettideittinainen
Markku Peltola	...	Samin isä

Also Known As:

Brändö (Finland) (working title)
Nuoret jumalat (Finland) (working title)
Young Gods (International: English title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:R21 (cut) | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Helsinki Filmi Oy

Movie Connections:

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Soundtrack:

Itsenäisyyspäivä

Finnish This Movie

Young Gods: 7 out of 10: For once I would like to see a teenage drama where careless foolish teenagers get away with being well careless and foolish. Nobody gets hurt, pregnant, married, commits suicide, tragically killed ext… they just act like complete idiots and go off to college. Kind of like real life for a lot of kids.

On second thought there are movies like this but they are all have Porky's in the title. Young Gods is unfortunately a teenage drama. Which means no foolish action will go unpunished.

Before the drama really kicks in we have a super realistic look at the lives of four teenage boys. The movie nails the attitudes and actions of young males of that age group and the pace while leisurely actually reflects the indifference to time people of that age actually have. (It also reflects the boredom that comes with no school and no job.) The movie also has a surprisingly naturalistic attitude about nudity and sex. Some may be shocked by the young actors' nudity but it felt non-sensationalist and rather realistic.

The plot about voyeurism and constant filming is overdone (see drama above) and the results of the boys' actions seem more draconian than real life. But this is after all a movie.

Despite being relatively slow placed and occasionally over-dramatic Young Gods is an enjoyable, realistic and fresh coming of age film.