Though the story itself is strong and the performances convincing, what I most love about this one is its visual power which is remarkable for such a low budget feature. It takes for its drama the return of Esko, an elderly man from Finland to visit his estranged family in the United States to bring them gifts. Upon his arrival he collapses and is sent to an emergency room. The family visits Esko in the hospital and his presence brings to the surface long suppressed conflicts and dreams. A young man who experiments with ritual and drugs is convinced his grandfather is a shaman and has dreams about a mysterious woman (played by Sylvi Alli) who appears to initiate and guide him. The young man's mother has resurfaced resentments of abandonment. Esco's bitter uncle demands to be paid back a loan from long ago and is rebuked by the young man. In recurring symbolic scenes ravens and hedgehogs are mythic rivals: the ravens gamblers and the hedgehogs stubborn, repressive -- and prickly. The remarkable final scene brings together all the principle characters at a dinner when the old man's gifts are opened and reveal a few meaningful surprises.
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