The movies does not show you the present state of Finland.

Right. No need for you to state you live in the USA. I think one has to be pretty damn American to say that "this movie would have been better if the casting had more of the average people that are attractive."

This discussion about whether there are attractive people in Finland or not, is hilarious. Just because Finnish films hardly ever get any international attention, when one does, it automatically represents everything in Finland. Just use your brains! Nobody thinks everyone in the States looks like Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt or the babes you see in American television series who look like walking advertising for plastic surgery. Why should you assume everyone in Finland looks like Kati Outinen? Besides, she´s looks prettier in nature, the film was actually making a statement against superficial values, so she´s made to look as dismal as possible. Looks are totally unimportant in the film. It´s humane, and above all, incredibly funny! I laughed through most of the film.
Besides, you should remember that beauty lies in the eye of the watcher.

Yeah, youre right, and while were at getting more beutiful people to act, why dont whe put it in a club enviroment, and have cameos by brittney spears and christina appelgate, and have everyone drink coca cola and have harvey weinstein produce it!!
But, oh no, wait, this is actually a real movie, thus, a movie made far away from hollowood (and *beep* bollywod). Its about ordinary people in ordinary situations, something americans might never know anything about.
Its epic, but not visually as it is intellectually, I´ts beutiful in its philsophic storytelling and worn-out yet shining backwater society. Its beuty lies in the sorrows and joys of life at is purest, an inevitable struggle för a man who must repent his deeds, of which he isnt even aware of.
Its an epic drama in a worn out, broken down and quite tragic world.
I for one, think its beutiful.

I think you may be missing the mark of Kaurismaki's intent by a lot, and frankly I don't blame you.

The actors in the film have a quiet, expressive dignity about them that transcends an ability to simply recite lines convincingly. Kaurismaki couldn't sculpt the faces of his actors, but it's obvious that he tried really hard to find actors that fit as closely as possible what he envisioned in his mind's eye. Besides that, I happen to think Peltola has a sort of old-school handsomeness about him anyway.

Of course he could have found average people that are "attractive." Finland is full of those, but that was never the point. An average person that is "attractive" can't necessarily evoke humour, sadness, and depth in one foul swoop the way Markku Peltola and Kati Outinen can simply by quietly staring off into space.

And then, I would argue that there seems to be an inherent irony in the way nearly every major adult character in the film no matter how lowly, dour or plain-looking recites at least one line of some form of rhetorical poetry ("Does the tree mourn for a fallen leaf?"). The juxtaposition between the dour-faced plainness of the people and the dignity, independence, and spirit of their characters is a part of the irony of the film.

In some ways, the casting is a deliberate affront to everything Hollywood stands for. Having read a number of interviews with Kaurismaki, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case at all.

Irony is often not pretty to look at, and besides: when forced to choose between the brilliant performances of people who look like they could live in my building versus the decent performances of moderately better looking, averagely attractive actors, I'd choose the the first any day. It's art. If you want pretty people instead, go rent a high-budget porno (or maybe Mr. and Mrs. Smith) instead.

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Kaurismäki does not like the national look of Finland, and creates his own fairyland with poor and ugly people. The normal sence (or is it sense?) of humour is a bit cruel, and maybe that is why Kaurismäki makes movies like this.


We have attractive persons, but why should we share them with you?