Pertaining to all myths and fairy tales… approach with caution.
*
INTRODUCTION. ‘Tis the season! We all saw it coming, there had to be at least one Christmas review up here. While I still expect to catch something on the silver screen relatively soon, this will have to do until then! Rare Exports may not be your average feelgood festive film but it still left me feeling pretty good.
CHARACTERS. Little Pietari Kontia, son to the village’s only butcher, is the movie’s closest thing to a protagonist. For a child who doesn’t speak very much at the start he’s really quite likeable- and believable, give or take several remarkably mature insights that lend him subtle comical effect. Papa Kontia (Rauno) pulls at my heartstrings as a concerned parent. None of the characters demonstrate particular depth and yet they aren’t exactly archetypes. It certainly proves that movies do not have to rely on cliches or overused platitudes to create simple, uninvolved adventure stories.
STORY. Rare Exports revolves around an isolated mountain village in the snowy Finnish landscape, current time. An archeological excavation in a neighbouring mountain sets loose an unexpected danger on the village folk: Santa Claus. Santa, it seems, is not so innocuous as commercially portrayed. The very premise is intriguing, comical… with just the right hint of menace. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen next, which is a lovely thing for a movie, up until the last twenty or so minutes. It doesn’t push the limit where suspension of disbelief is concerned but I think Rare Exports functions safely within its borders, and to our benefit. You will find that it has everything a festive film usually does – snow, family, moral connotations, red hats – and then some.
CONCLUSION. If you didn’t catch this Christmas treat on release, then I highly recommend it! Especially for those who like a touch of the sinister to this special time of the year~
N
CHARACTERS: 6/10 STORY: 7/10 REWATCH FACTOR: 6.5/10 OVERALL: 7/10
An Alarming Shade 