This is not your average Christmas movie, that much is for certain. "Rare Exports" takes the classic tale of Santa Claus and makes it a whole lot darker.
Set in the cold and frozen reaches of Finland, the supposedly true home of Santa, this movie takes you for an exciting thrill ride. The story slowly builds up suspense and keeps you guessing and wanting to see more. And this works so nicely. From the excavation of something underneath the mountain till the very end of the movie.
Now, the movie is in Finnish, so you might want to brace yourself for the subtitles. But don't let the language be a hindrance, because "Rare Exports" is definitely a movie that is worth watching. I wouldn't recommend it for people under 15 though, as the movie is somewhat dark, twisted, has some nudity, and also might destroy your image of Christmas forever. But for those sturdy enough (and old enough), this movie is one that you will never forget.
Despite being in Finnish, with some English thrown into the fray, the cast of actors in the movie did a superb job with their roles. From the child actors to the adult actors. Even though you might not understand the language, you can sense the emotions of the dialogue and immerse yourself into it anyway.
And it is such a much needed breath of fresh air to the otherwise stagnant and sugar-sweet genre of Christmas movies. "Rare Exports" takes all the tradition things about Christmas movies, throws it in the rubbish bin, and then changes your view on Christmas forever. I particularly loved the approach to the being of Santa, and how it was portrayed in the books and the folklore there. Just a shame that you didn't really get to see the actual Santa in the movie, except for him being frozen in the ice.
The scenery throughout the movie was breathtaking. There is just something majestic about the northern parts of Scandinavia, with all the mountains, pine trees and snow. And knowing you are this far up and isolated from the rest of the world, helps build mood for the movie. It wouldn't have worked quite as well, had the movie been set in a major city.
And the "elves" in the movie, or what was mentioned as elves, that really blew me away. That approach to it was a stroke of genius.
When you see the ending of the movie, you will just love it. And the title of the movie will make sense by then. I loved the movie and the ending, it was just freaking awesome.
This is hardly a movie that will turn into a Christmas classic, but you should treat yourself to the pleasure of seeing the movie, because it is worth every second of it.
Set in the cold and frozen reaches of Finland, the supposedly true home of Santa, this movie takes you for an exciting thrill ride. The story slowly builds up suspense and keeps you guessing and wanting to see more. And this works so nicely. From the excavation of something underneath the mountain till the very end of the movie.
Now, the movie is in Finnish, so you might want to brace yourself for the subtitles. But don't let the language be a hindrance, because "Rare Exports" is definitely a movie that is worth watching. I wouldn't recommend it for people under 15 though, as the movie is somewhat dark, twisted, has some nudity, and also might destroy your image of Christmas forever. But for those sturdy enough (and old enough), this movie is one that you will never forget.
Despite being in Finnish, with some English thrown into the fray, the cast of actors in the movie did a superb job with their roles. From the child actors to the adult actors. Even though you might not understand the language, you can sense the emotions of the dialogue and immerse yourself into it anyway.
And it is such a much needed breath of fresh air to the otherwise stagnant and sugar-sweet genre of Christmas movies. "Rare Exports" takes all the tradition things about Christmas movies, throws it in the rubbish bin, and then changes your view on Christmas forever. I particularly loved the approach to the being of Santa, and how it was portrayed in the books and the folklore there. Just a shame that you didn't really get to see the actual Santa in the movie, except for him being frozen in the ice.
The scenery throughout the movie was breathtaking. There is just something majestic about the northern parts of Scandinavia, with all the mountains, pine trees and snow. And knowing you are this far up and isolated from the rest of the world, helps build mood for the movie. It wouldn't have worked quite as well, had the movie been set in a major city.
And the "elves" in the movie, or what was mentioned as elves, that really blew me away. That approach to it was a stroke of genius.
When you see the ending of the movie, you will just love it. And the title of the movie will make sense by then. I loved the movie and the ending, it was just freaking awesome.
This is hardly a movie that will turn into a Christmas classic, but you should treat yourself to the pleasure of seeing the movie, because it is worth every second of it.