Rööperi

Aleksi Mäkelä: Rööperi (FI 2009). Peter Franzén (Krisu). Samuli Edelmann (Tomppa).

Rödbergen

FI © 2009 Solar Films. P: Markus Selin, Jukka Helle. 

    D: Aleksi Mäkelä. SC: Marko Leino – based on the novel Rööperi – rikoksen vuodet 1955–2005 (2005) by Harri Nykänen and Tom Sjöberg. DP: Pini Hellstedt – 2,35:1 – color. PD: Pirjo Rossi. COST: Tiina Kaukanen. MA: Riika Virtanen. M: Kalle Chydenius. S: Jyrki Rahkonen. 

    CAST: Samuli Edelmann (Tomppa), Peter Franzén (Krisu), Kari Hietalahti (Kari), Pihla Viitala (Monika), Kristo Salminen (Arska), Jasper Pääkkönen (Korppu), Hiski Grönstrand (Pera), Tommi Rantamäki (Sale), Juha Veijonen (Koistinen), Pekka Valkeejärvi (Uki), Pirkko Mannola (Tyyne), Leena Uotila (Tompan äiti), Santeri Kinnunen (Teukka), Kalle Holmberg (Lindström). 

    130 min

    Released by Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution with Swedish subtitles by Markus Rautiainen. 

    Viewed at Kinopalatsi 1, 9 Jan 2009.

A digimastered look, emphasis on the blue and the brown, a little shabby.

Underworld Helsinki.

Based on the novel by the crime expert, journalist and writer Harri Nykänen, on the true story of Tom Sjöberg, of organized crime in alcohol, robbery, theft, drugs, porn, smuggling, violent assault, murder, etc. in the district of Punavuori / Rödbergen known in the Helsinki slang as Rööperi.

The film has it both ways: it both shows that crime doesn't pay and glorifies crime. Krisu perishes with heroin addiction. Kari is an imbecile. Monika dies broken-hearted. Tomppa loses his child.

Yet it makes these characters bigger than life, using slow motion and music. Aspects of the story may be polished and idealized. There is certainly a lot of interesting stuff. I laughed at the scene in which the criminals learn that keskiolut (middle-strength beer) has been certified for sale in grocery stores. "Don't they have any morals?" they ask, aware of a loss of a lucrative black market product. Probably the richest exploration of a life of crime in a Finnish film.