Well, really!
Self-tasked as it were to bone up on this country's cinematic contributions, the director of this film stands high in its history: having now seen a fair few of those - (fairly subtitled), so as an outsider (foreigner!), it's (highly) probable I just don't get it: but for like (outsider) dilettantes so approaching, I'll 'review' share that: well, really: I'm just left bewildered as to why!
Either, in this one, it's the famous (admirable) Finnish dry humour deluxe; or, otherwise, it's just plain arrogance, indeed out and out creepy; indeed, it would seem the sort of stuff this director / writer oft seems to set up* - in this one most especially.
Opening with a fine Finn (femme?) trope of reverse sex roles like, with an apparently under the thumb like apron adorned** guy (Sven- Bertil Taube) doing all the morning breakfast kitchen duties - (washing up, making - and serving - coffee for) with his wife (Ritva Vepsa) at the kitchen table doing the newspaper reading, you might feel - especially with its titling*** - that you're in a for a reverse sexes role romp that would be a fine fair alternative to those contemporary U. S. style films that so sexistly portrayed it otherwise (think of the Rock Hudson / Doris day entries).
Instead, it soon leads to an utterly shocking, preposterous, insulting, although presumably, surely deliberately provocative scene of director writer Donner playing a gynecologist himself, too (arrogant, or what?) who after 'examining' the aforesaid wife who explains to him that her and her (that aproned) husband have lost their matrimonial intimacy spark, advises her to take a lover; ok, perhaps that was what passed for gynecological wisdom 'in those days'; but then - well, here comes a minor plot spoiler (although someone's already put in the synopsis, anyway) - guess who he decides, as her gynecologist (i.e. Having had a prior 'check out / look' ...!), she should take as that lover?
Got it (Guessed it)?
And so to remind; not only is he playing this character, but he WROTE it, too - AND then directed it. So if not shockingly (obviously now, struck off behavior - but, presumably, not then in this director's nation .. !) insulting to womanhood, then I can only discern this is his Finnish dry humour provocation style. So; ho, ho.
Not only that, but just incidentally, apparently, he already has several children, anyway (reminds as a sort of allegory to my own country's current leader like approach to wielding authority ... !)
But, really, to be 'fair' it is still sort of equal opportunities, (as supposedly renowned for of this nation, too ...) as the (afore-aproned) husband ALSO has his lover (Seija Tyni), too: and who - (warning: another plot spoiler alert coming) - gives birth to his child, in which predicament, whom she is attended to by - (ah, well, wanna take a guess, again?) - ... da, da, daaaa: yup: the gynecologist (reminder: also director, writer, well known renowned Finnish film doyen, Donner.)
So; I can only surmise, surely it's all that (hilarious) Finn dry humour to a Nth degree / sub what would be British Benny Hill like humour ... but for me - as a Finn mores ignorant outsider - this is just insulting, ridiculous, pathetic trash!
E.g: Er; there's also a sort of Jack Nicholson in Little Shop of Horrors (homage?) dentist scene, which to me served no purpose than to emulate, and yet another - creepy - scene where a Mother-in-law (Eila Pekonen) attends, gets sleepily inebriated whilst trysting couple get on with their 'young desire' passion right across from her - presumably - sleeping nose: wow: those Finns and their sixties / ah, 'Sixtynine'*** sexual mores, huh?
* As in check his, ahem, 'stand out' performance in 'Portraits of Women' ...!!!!!! - (also reviewed hereunder this reviewer's moniker...)
** er; just warning: just so's you who might know of: this is NOT CFNM like nude - this was only the sixties, more's the pity, huh!
*** For: OH: and another plot spoiler warning: there is NO - repeat - no 'sixty-nine'-ing anywhere in this film (That I saw: although there is a nude - foot fetishist - yup, female but AND MALE special! - bath scene!)
Self-tasked as it were to bone up on this country's cinematic contributions, the director of this film stands high in its history: having now seen a fair few of those - (fairly subtitled), so as an outsider (foreigner!), it's (highly) probable I just don't get it: but for like (outsider) dilettantes so approaching, I'll 'review' share that: well, really: I'm just left bewildered as to why!
Either, in this one, it's the famous (admirable) Finnish dry humour deluxe; or, otherwise, it's just plain arrogance, indeed out and out creepy; indeed, it would seem the sort of stuff this director / writer oft seems to set up* - in this one most especially.
Opening with a fine Finn (femme?) trope of reverse sex roles like, with an apparently under the thumb like apron adorned** guy (Sven- Bertil Taube) doing all the morning breakfast kitchen duties - (washing up, making - and serving - coffee for) with his wife (Ritva Vepsa) at the kitchen table doing the newspaper reading, you might feel - especially with its titling*** - that you're in a for a reverse sexes role romp that would be a fine fair alternative to those contemporary U. S. style films that so sexistly portrayed it otherwise (think of the Rock Hudson / Doris day entries).
Instead, it soon leads to an utterly shocking, preposterous, insulting, although presumably, surely deliberately provocative scene of director writer Donner playing a gynecologist himself, too (arrogant, or what?) who after 'examining' the aforesaid wife who explains to him that her and her (that aproned) husband have lost their matrimonial intimacy spark, advises her to take a lover; ok, perhaps that was what passed for gynecological wisdom 'in those days'; but then - well, here comes a minor plot spoiler (although someone's already put in the synopsis, anyway) - guess who he decides, as her gynecologist (i.e. Having had a prior 'check out / look' ...!), she should take as that lover?
Got it (Guessed it)?
And so to remind; not only is he playing this character, but he WROTE it, too - AND then directed it. So if not shockingly (obviously now, struck off behavior - but, presumably, not then in this director's nation .. !) insulting to womanhood, then I can only discern this is his Finnish dry humour provocation style. So; ho, ho.
Not only that, but just incidentally, apparently, he already has several children, anyway (reminds as a sort of allegory to my own country's current leader like approach to wielding authority ... !)
But, really, to be 'fair' it is still sort of equal opportunities, (as supposedly renowned for of this nation, too ...) as the (afore-aproned) husband ALSO has his lover (Seija Tyni), too: and who - (warning: another plot spoiler alert coming) - gives birth to his child, in which predicament, whom she is attended to by - (ah, well, wanna take a guess, again?) - ... da, da, daaaa: yup: the gynecologist (reminder: also director, writer, well known renowned Finnish film doyen, Donner.)
So; I can only surmise, surely it's all that (hilarious) Finn dry humour to a Nth degree / sub what would be British Benny Hill like humour ... but for me - as a Finn mores ignorant outsider - this is just insulting, ridiculous, pathetic trash!
E.g: Er; there's also a sort of Jack Nicholson in Little Shop of Horrors (homage?) dentist scene, which to me served no purpose than to emulate, and yet another - creepy - scene where a Mother-in-law (Eila Pekonen) attends, gets sleepily inebriated whilst trysting couple get on with their 'young desire' passion right across from her - presumably - sleeping nose: wow: those Finns and their sixties / ah, 'Sixtynine'*** sexual mores, huh?
* As in check his, ahem, 'stand out' performance in 'Portraits of Women' ...!!!!!! - (also reviewed hereunder this reviewer's moniker...)
** er; just warning: just so's you who might know of: this is NOT CFNM like nude - this was only the sixties, more's the pity, huh!
*** For: OH: and another plot spoiler warning: there is NO - repeat - no 'sixty-nine'-ing anywhere in this film (That I saw: although there is a nude - foot fetishist - yup, female but AND MALE special! - bath scene!)
