The Match Factory Girl (1990)

A woman's terribly dull life is upended by a one-night stand pregnancy, causing her to seek retribution.

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writer:

Aki Kaurismäki

Stars:

Kati Outinen, Elina Salo, Esko Nikkari

6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kati Outinen	...	Iris Rukka
Elina Salo	...	Mother
Esko Nikkari	...	Stepfather
Vesa Vierikko	...	Aarne
Reijo Taipale	...	The singer
Silu Seppälä	...	Iris Rukka's brother
Outi Mäenpää	...	Iris Rukka's co-worker
Marja Packalén	...	The doctor
Richard Reitinger	...	Man in the bar
Helka Viljanen	...	Office employee (as Helga Viljanen)
Kurt Siilas	...	Policeman
Ismo Keinänen	...	Policeman
Klaus Heydemann	...	Worker
Erkki Friman	...	Member of dance band
Tapani Ikonen	...	Member of dance band

Storyline

Iris has a dead-end job in a match-factory, lives with her dour and forbidding parents, and her social life is a disaster. But when she is made pregnant after a one-night stand by a man who thought she was a prostitute, she decides that enough is enough and plans her revenge...

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Plot Keywords:

finland | matchstick factory | helsinki finland | year 1989 | 1980s | 

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Finland Sweden

Language:

Finnish

Release Date:

6 November 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Match Factory Girl

Filming Locations:

Vallila, Helsinki, Finland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Villealfa Filmproductions, Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI), Esselte Video

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although being in nearly every scene, the protagonist does not speak until the 25-minute mark in the film.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Iiris: Half pint, please!

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Connections

Features Room Service (1938)

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Soundtracks

You've Got What I Like
Music composed by Gerry Marsden and Leslie Maguire (as Les Maguire)
Original Lyrics written by Gerry Marsden and Leslie Maguire (as Les Maguire) (English text 1964)
Finnish Text written by Juha Vainio

User Reviews

A simple story that kept me watching

This is a downbeat story of a young woman, Iris, who works on an assembly line in a match stick factory in Finland. Iris' life would give testament to the truth of Thoreau's quote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." She comes home from her tedious job to a dismal apartment that she shares with her mother and stepfather--both major losers. They take what little money Iris earns and berate her if she spends on herself.

While Iris is not unattractive, she presents such a sullen and drab appearance that she is ignored at community dances, until she buys a new red dress when she finally attracts the attention of a man. But don't plan on a happy ending to that one. Years of suppressed resentment can provoke dramatic acts of revenge.

At a little over an hour this movie could have played as an episode on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." Except it has better production values and acting that most shows on that program. I thought the humorous twist in the final scene was particularly in the style of Hitchcock.

I enjoyed the establishing shots in the match factory. I have never given much thought about the process of creating match sticks and found the presentation of that interesting. So much complexity and machinery involved in producing such a simple product.