Kukkia & sidontaa (2004)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Janne Kuusi

Writers:

Aleksi Bardy (writer)
Teijo Eloranta (story)

Release Date:

15 October 2004 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Small town butchers and florists grow tired of local sausage factory owner. They want to teach him a lesson but things get out of hand. |

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Love | Slaughterhouse

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Teijo Eloranta	...	Antero Kanto
Sari Havas	...	Kaisa Piippo
Jarmo Hyttinen	...	Osmo Rauhanen
Kirsti Kuosmanen	...	Anna Kanto
Outi Mäenpää	...	Eve Leino
Tiina Pirhonen	...	Camilla Järvinen
Mikael Rejström	...	Kymppi
Simo Routarinne	...	Jyrki Koski
Sari Siikander	...	Gitta Koski
Elina Stirkkinen	...	Irina
Kari-Pekka Toivonen	...	Ali Makkonen
Tobias Zilliacus	...	Elis Makkonen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tapio Antikainen	...	Tehdastyöläinen (Butcher)
Roope Einola	...	Lapsi (Ali´s and Eve´s son)
Kaarina Etto	...	Tehdastyöläinen (Worker)
Jouni Kannisto	...	Tehdastyöläinen (Worker, singer)
Mikko Kivinen	...	Makkarakauppias Pajunen (Sausage dealer)
Pia Koponen	...	Tehdastyöläinen (Worker)
Atte Ville Kuusi	...	Lapsi (Ali´s and Eve´s son)
Melli Maikkula	...	Tarjoilija (Waitress)
Antero Nieminen	...	Poliisi (Policeman)
Iiro Ollila	...	Tehdastyöläinen (Worker, singer)
Aleksi Salmenperä	...	Hämärämies (Shady character)
Miitta Sorvali	...	Pankinjohtaja (Bank manager)
Topi Stirkkinen	...	Lapsi (Ali´s and Eve´s son)
Ilkka Talasranta	...	Tehdastyöläinen (Worker, singer)
Olavi Törmä	...	Tehdastyöläinen (Butcher)

Also Known As:

Flowers & Binding (Europe: English title)
Flowers and Binding (International: English title)
Kött och blommor (Finland: Swedish title)
Kukkia ja sidontaa (Finland)
Porvoo (Finland) (working title)

Runtime:

114 min | Finland:107 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Porvoo, Finland

Company:

Kinotaurus

Uneven, but still absolutely fabulous

The Finnish movie Kukkia ja Sidontaa tell's the story of a little town and the workers of it's main employer, a slaughterhouse. The Manager of the slaughterhouse, Jyrki Koski, is a local Casanova, sending flowers and messing around almost with every woman in town. Eventually people get irritated by Jyrki and things get out of hand. The movie is about human relationships and how bad they can influence in one's life.

I have to admit that the movie is badly uneven. The shooting is jumpy and the end could have been done otherwise. There are great scenes and the are horribly bad ones too. But the great scenes make it all up.

Behind the movie is a Finnsh improvisation group Stella Polaris which compiles from a few of the most talented actors in Finland at the moment. For example Outi Mäenpää (playing Ali's on/off spouse Eve) and Simo Routarinne (playing Jyrki Koski). Out of the Stella Polaris I have to mention Miitta Sorvali who plays a little part as the bank manager. She is a mutable comedienne whose talent I would have enjoyed seeing more. There aren't any bad actors in this movie. They all play their parts better than most of the actors in the filming world today.

This is a movie for someone who likes good acting and realistic (but at the same time totally absurd) dialog. The slaughterhouse is an unusual place to set a movie. It gives and interesting twist to the mood of the film.