a question (Contains Spoiler(?))

Spoilers

If I remember correctly, we couldn't see him after he killed that guy on the beach (?). So I guess he's either in jail or he committed a suicide.

Hmm, how do you know there were his kids at the funeral? It'd been eight years since they were took from their dad, so how did you recognize them?

Eh? No mate, I think you're got it a bit wrong.


Here's what happens, from the robbery onwards:

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!!! DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY THE FILM!!!!!!


1. Niko Smolander as you know gets it on with Elina (the pregnant girlfriend of the Tuomas who was sent to jail). They end up together while Tuomas is in jail for five years (sentenced to 8 but let out after 5).

2. In the meantime, Antti (the cop's grieving husband) has become violent, and can't stop thinking about his wife Hannele. He takes it out on Jonttu, one of the sons, and in the end calls social services and asks them to take them away from him, for their own safety.

* 5 YEARS LATER *

3. Niko is now clean shaven and has short hair and is teaching at the University (yes, I didn't realise it was him immediately either, I had to go back to check). Ironically, he is teaching in the same place as his dad taught in, all those years ago. He is teaching about Chaos theory. This is also ironic, as his dad was teaching about the Tolstoy concept of fate (and passing on bad fortune from one person to another... which happens) and his son is teaching about Chaos (and again, it's all chaos - if he didn't print the 500 euro and use it to buy a CD player - which he wouldn't have needed had his dad not swapped it for some beer - then the note wouldn't have been used to buy the TV back by the shopguy, the scammer wouldn't have ended up in prison for fraud, etc etc. All Chaos and butterfly wings).

4. Niko is also now "clean". He was a druggie before, but we see him at an addicts anonymous meeting. He appears to be the one who has made the best of himself, again ironically as he appeared to be the biggest loser at the beginning. Niko says in his addicts anonymous group how worried he is that his best friend (Tuomas) is getting out of prison while he's been seeing his fiançée.

5. Niko collects Tuomas from gaol, gives him 500 Euro (don't worry, it's real - great touch). Niko explains he is now doing all right for himself (he must be - 500 Euro is a lot of money - $630 note). Tuomas takes the train (giving some money to Mr Smolander who is now a bum - Mr Smolander is of course his best mate's dad, and would have taught him at the school... hence Mr Smolander recognises him). Tuomas goes to his old flame Elina's house, sees his grown up son (who was in Elina's belly when he went to gaol, don't forget).

6. Nothing happens between them, but they're still obviously very close. Tuomas next day goes to see the husband Antti of the policewoman who he was sent down for "killing" (Hannele). He wants to tell the husband that he really didn't push her onto the tracks. He is trying to clear his conscience. Antti is clearly not yet over his wife (still wears the ring, close up on it). Tuomas inquires about Antti's kids, when he sees their pictures, and whether they're at school etc. Antti explains that the oldest girl has just graduated from high school, which is about right as she was much older than the others five years' prior). But all this just stirs up the past for Antti (not that he needed much stirring up).

7. Antti drives Tuomas to the place where Hannele's ashes were scattered, and shoots him. We don't know what happens to Tuomas after that. He probably will shoot himself - he was pretty suicidal before and this will send him over the edge, but we do not know that so this is only conjecture.

8. The dying Tuomas has clearly been found and taken to hospital, as the next scene is Niko giving Elina a hug in the hospital, passing on the information that her ex-fiançé Tuomas has died.

9. It is Niko who is giving the eulogy at the graveside, and Elina and her/Tuomas's son who are crying. Niko talks about how we have to try and make the best of a hellish life or else living isn't worth it. Probably a bit crass as Tuomas himself tried to do that by visiting Antti and got shot for it, but of course in Niko's case - drug-addicted hippie to successful University lecturer.

There, hope that explains everything.

Good film, wasn't it!

just another stupid question: if it is a conincidence that elina lives just a couple of streets away from antti in the end ? in the beginning of the movie she was living somewhere else ...