31/01/2022 - This uneven Finnish drama helmed by Alli Haapasalo takes on adolescent turmoil and Moomin mugs – quite the combination

Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen and Linnea Leino in Girl Picture

Soon set to hit the Berlinale’s Generation strand as well, Alli Haapasalo’s Girl Picture [+see also:
trailer
interview: Alli Haapasalo
film profile] – which has just scored the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance (see the news) – is a perfectly serviceable, if a tad overstuffed, little movie about three girls (Aamu Milonoff, Eleonoora Kauhanen and Linnea Leino) searching for things they believe would make them happy. One, a promising ice-skater, is looking for a triple Lutz, which she has apparently lost, while another is seeking sexual pleasure. In the meantime, there is falling in love, or in lust – usually amidst some ridiculously named smoothies – family tension and a convoluted monologue about an unexpected connection between sperm and Moomin mugs. Just get some plastic containers next time. Honestly.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

If all this reads messy, it’s because it is, as director Haapasalo goes from pretty realistic scenes that are supposed to deliver emotionally to sports drama – probably the least interesting subplot here – and a where-the-hell-is-the-sex-in-this-city marathon. As Rönkkö continues her awkward hookups, determined to be admired (Kauhanen is a delight in the role, delivering idiotic, never-ending stories worthy of Rose Nylund from Golden Girls), Emma and Mimmi start a relationship. That’s when things star to jar, as although Haapasalo’s performers are more or less fine on their own, together they don’t convince, especially not in a romantic scenario.

Also, it’s just too bloody much. Some of it could be attributed to the protagonists, themselves all over the place, announcing they “want new dick” and then falling apart when their absentee parent continues to ignore them. But a big part of the blame lies in the script, which ambitiously wants to capture as many experiences as possible. While the final result is uneven, it’s a film that has clearly listened to many voices speaking up these days and delivered what they’ve been asking for: someone’s sexual orientation is not a big deal, the sex is consensual and it doesn’t need to mean anything, and if someone happens to watch too much porn, make no mistake – he shall be informed. It’s also funny to see how stories about young people had to dramatically up their make-up and fashion game following the Euphoria craze. While Mimmi’s bleached eyebrows and Rönkkö’s red lip get the message across, the sight of a Finnish boy dressed like – sorry – a 1970s pimp in fur is still not something one can prepare for in advance.

What does work, however, is that despite all the drama, Haapsalo shows a very welcoming world for girls, actually. There is no threat constantly lurking around the corner when they wander around town, no violent encounters. Frankly, it’s a relief. Given how many films use sexual assault as an excuse to kick things off or open with yet another female corpse found in a car boot, one could really start to believe that when a woman makes it back home in one piece, it calls for a celebratory glass of champagne.

That’s probably Girl Picture’s single biggest achievement – it’s just nice to see girls not having to deal with these kinds of issues for once, not having to overthink if they can go to this place and talk to that person. It invites you to try things instead of advising you to be careful. And if that alone places this film in the fantasy realm, so be it. But being a girl should be fun, and they should be able to see that.

Girl Picture was produced by Finland’s Citizen Jane Productions. Its sales are handled by LevelK.