Musta Jää (Black Ice)

Films from Finland are always quite good and this Petri Kotwica film is no exception. Tells about the lengths one woman can go to revenge her husband infidelity and with the look and feel of a melodramatic soap opera this story will keep you interested mainly because the outstanding performance by Outi Mäenpää that plays Saara the wife that goes to even create a new identity to get back at Tuuli (Ria Kataja) the husband’s younger mistress.

More than half the story it is a good drama/thriller, but unfortunately the trio story had to have an ending and well it went the wrong and most predictable way. But still, this is a good written script with some very intelligent dialogues and if you add the excellent cinematography with outstandingly beautiful indoor and outdoor takes plus all the actors performances you have a movie that’s very entertaining and at moments could give you chills.

Winner of multiple awards at the Finnish Jussi Awards including the Best Actress for Outi Mäenpää the movie was also in competition at the 2008 Berlinale. There are some viewers and critics that relate this movie to Bergman’s Persona and in a way there are similarities but Black Ice lacks Bergman’s geniuses to tell a story and to create a movie that will blow your mind away.

The movie has some Sapphic overtones (and a small sex scene) as when Saara and Tuuli become friends and despite of Saara’s intentions, there is an attraction developing between them; but since it was totally underplayed I won’t give the movie the label. Still if you feel like watching you will be able to see two women being attracted to each other more than in a normal friendship.

This is a very well done movie with outstanding production values and a good story (the ending is so-so) that mainly audiences that enjoy good European movies could like.If you have doubts after all my rambling, let me tell you that I did enjoy this drama with thrills quite a lot.

Enjoy!!