Populärmusik från Vittula (2004)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Reza Bagher

Writers:

Reza Bagher (writer)
Mikael Niemi (novel)

Release Date:

24 September 2004 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Coming Of Age | Music Teacher | Transvestite | Elvis | Bully

Cast

Niklas Ulfvarson	...	Matti (age 7)
Max Enderfors	...	Matti (age 15)
Tommy Vallikari	...	Niila (age 7)
Andreas af Enehjelm	...	Niila (age 15)
Björn Kjellman	...	Greger
Jarmo Mäkinen	...	Isak, father of Niila
Kati Outinen	...	Päivi, mother of Niila
Tarja-Tuulikki Tarsala	...	Grandmother
Göran Forsmark	...	Birger
Lisa Lindgren	...	Signe
Sten Ljunggren	...	Grandfather
Lamine Dieng	...	Kambune
Fredrik Hammar	...	Ville
Lennart Jähkel	...	Einari
Anne Järvinen	...	Hilma

Also Known As:

Populäärimusiikkia Vittulajänkältä (Finland)
Popular Music (International: English title)

Runtime:

Sweden:105 min

Country:

Sweden | Finland

Language:

Swedish | Finnish | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Pajala, Norrbottens län, Sweden

Company:

Happy End Filmproduction AB

Trivia:

The film is set in North-Eastern Sweden, where people commonly speak both Swedish and Finnish. However, when Reza Bagher was chosen to direct this film, he first decided that the film should include only Swedish language dialog. After few days at location in Pajala, he changed his mind and agreed that it wouldn't be authentic to omit Finnish completely.

Disappointing

And highly so. I haven't read the book, nonetheless the whole setting seemed very promising. But after a few moments of funny and/or enthralling and well-filmed moments and motives, the whole thing just fell apart. Focus on the music and character development was lost almost completely, drowned in bodily fluids (spilled a little bit too freely for my taste). There are some scenes worth watching, but most of the humorous motives are dragged to a slow death, and the serious ones aren't handled very well enough to give identification or deep insight to the characters.

As an illustration for the book, the movie may work, especially for those born in North Sweden or Suomi, but not as a stand-alone comedy or drama, because it tries to be both the coming-of-age-with-a-little-help-from-the-Beatles-drama and the life-in-North-Sweden-is-hard-but-hilarious-comedy and ends up being a very weak mixture of them.