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Film: Producing Adults
Release date: 12th April 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 102 mins
Director: Aleksi Salmenpera
Starring: Minna Haapkylä, Kari-Pekka Toivonen, Minttu Mustakallio, Tommi Eronen, Pekka Strang
Genre: Drama
Studio: Peccadillo
Format: DVD
Country: Finland
Finland’s official submission for the Foreign Language Oscar for 2004 is a charming, sweet, funny, but also very sophisticated look at adult relationships.
It centres around two apparently very different women, Venla and Satu. Venla seems to have it all; a good job as a marriage counsellor, a flat and a doting, successful husband. All she needs now is to have children. However, it quickly becomes apparent that hubby Antero is not quite as secure as Venla is – he is an aspiring speed skater, but is clearly never going to be good enough. He is as emotionally immature as his body is flawed, and is clearly unhappy at the idea they should have a child, even going so far as to slip Venla a contraceptive in her drink when his condom breaks.
Satu meanwhile is the opposite of Venla – laid-back, unconcerned with her appearance, and treating life as a bit of a game - although she is just as committed to her job. She tries to help Venla get pregnant; going as far as to examine Antero’s sperm under a microscope – unbeknown to both of them he has had a vasectomy, so scared is he of becoming a father.
The two women slowly become closer to each other, and Venla realises every quality she wants from a partner is found in Satu, not Antero. However, the one thing Satu cannot do is get her pregnant, so what will she do?
Producing Adults – the title has a certain irony – has a lovely, deceptively light feel to it, slowly drawing you in before you realise the smallest details have huge resonances. Antero’s character is particularly well drawn, a boy in a man’s body, terrified of responsibility, constantly deflecting conversations from the important to the trivial – his obsession with growing herbs is particularly painful. Then there is the central relationship. Venla is a wonderfully detailed character, desperate to be fulfilled and happy, and wondering why a house, good job and a man is not enough for her.
The film’s big shift, Vanla’s sudden change from hetero to homosexual, does seem a little jarring, especially as her and Satu share several scenes early on in which there is no hint of sexual tension or attraction. They even get locked in a room together, freeing themselves by setting off the sprinklers, yet there is still no spark between them - they seem more like colleagues than potential lovers. It’s a shame as this is really the central theme of the film.
Still, it’s a beautifully drawn, very detailed and funny movie. Satu’s exclamation, “Do you think I should rub your clitoris before I go? That was a joke!” is a lovely moment, and beautifully acted, much like the film as a whole.
The performances are strong - Minna Haapkylärary is wonderful as the central character, desperate to be fulfilled, energetic and compassionate, Minttu Mustakallio is almost as good as Satu, constantly smoking, easy-going and taking every knockback in her stride. Kari-Pekka Toivonen is also on top form as the emotionally stunted Antero, frustrated by his body’s failings and scared of putting his youth behind him and becoming an adult.
Finland is pretty low on the list of countries producing top European films, and the director has made just two more films since this one. It has produced just three Oscar nominations in its long history, this being the second. Still, it proves any country can produce a movie with universal themes - just get the details right. MM
Courtesy Peccadillo Pictures.
On April 12th, Peccadillo will release Producing Adults, a film written by Pekko Pesonen. “The film is about a therapist who works in a fertility clinic and tries to get pregnant behind her boyfriend’s back,” explained the screenwriter. “In the process, she falls for the female doctor who helps her at the clinic.
“This story is based on the lives of two friends of mine, a lesbian couple. Even though the main part is played by a woman, my voice can still be heard strongly between the lines, and I based some of the characters on friends of mine. I have spent the last four years working on this film.
“When people turn thirty, people start to think whether or not they want to start a family. The subject matter of this film is common to most people of that age group. My personal message is that it is important for a child to have loving parents; their sex doesn’t really matter. That is my opinion.”
The film’s director, Aleksi Salmenpera, added his own thoughts…
On making the film…
“The basic belief is that love does exist and it is more valuable than of the plans we make and the social mores guiding our lives.
“Prior to this project, Tuomo Hutri and I made two shorts films, but this is our first feature. I feel that Tuomo has more experience in the field. When discussing this film, we decided not to try to achieve too much, not to give it everything we had because this won’t be the last film we make together. We’ll just shoot it according to the storyline.”
On directing…
“My attitude is that there has to be something more than just a ‘know-it-all’ attitude. Trying to fit actors in my mould would exclude the knowledge and experience they can bring to a project. I cannot just come and tell actors how to walk and react in certain scenes – I would rather stay in the background and watch, and when I see something I like, we shoot it. I could never know as much as the team.
“I was very inspired by Vinterberg’s Festen, especially by the presence of the actors and the story it told. I’ve actually done three 45 minute TV-films that were completely improvised following a written plot. After making these films, I wanted to try and get the same strong ‘presence’ out of my actors with a script. I was, and still am, fed up with films where a certain overbearing style is brought to the forefront. I try to tell a story, not to invent new tools with which to distract the viewer.”
On fatherhood…
“The past offers very little for today's father to hang on to. The ‘traditional’ values of being a father are, at least for me, somewhat questionable. Somehow today, fathers have to create their role out of poor material. For me, the only way to discover one’s role as a father is to be there when it happens, and live the experience every day. One’s work and career are terrific escape routes from getting to know fatherhood.”
On motherhood…
"I believe that motherhood has a larger role in building a woman’s identity than fatherhood has for men. Venla wants to have a child, because she needs someone to give her love to. When she finds love, the whole ‘baby issue’ sits in the background. What she wants and what she needs are two different things. I wanted Venla’s choice to clearly represent love. Not tradition or a common procedure where a ‘bad’ man is replaced by a ‘prince charming’. I didn’t want the final choice of being with a woman to be the answer to all her problems.”
On women in love…
“It is a real love story between two women, with all of the usual obstacles that must be overcome in order for it to succeed. Compared with the men in the film, they shine. Their roles were written this way in order to make one feel that these two women really deserve each other, and that male viewers also hope for the best outcome.” PP
