My new favorite holiday movie. I love how the little kid becomes a certified bad-ass toward the end, and all because he believed in Santa Claus the whole time.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale from Finland proposes to tell us the truth about Santa Claus, going back to some of the legend's more terrifying Pagan roots to the way we see him today. It is balls-out crazy, but always takes its ludicrous premise seriously, so you have to take it at face value too. It may be a black comedy, but the characters don't know that. On the surface, the film plays as one of those children's adventures, with a young Finnish boy from a bleak, tiny town as its protagonist. He notes all the clues, does all the research, but will anyone ever believe him that the original Claus has come down the mountain to punish the naughty? Rare Exports starts out slow and quietly tragic, but by the end becomes a ridiculous ride that makes you throw up your hands in surrender and laugh.
Don't expect a spectacular climax, but tension builds steadily thoughout the movie and they have great fun playing with the Santa Clause mythology. Enjoyable and recommended. But you will probably only bother to see it once.
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DJPowWow
My new favorite holiday movie. I love how the little kid becomes a certified bad-ass toward the end, and all because he believed in Santa Claus the whole time.Siskoid
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale from Finland proposes to tell us the truth about Santa Claus, going back to some of the legend's more terrifying Pagan roots to the way we see him today. It is balls-out crazy, but always takes its ludicrous premise seriously, so you have to take it at face value too. It may be a black comedy, but the characters don't know that. On the surface, the film plays as one of those children's adventures, with a young Finnish boy from a bleak, tiny town as its protagonist. He notes all the clues, does all the research, but will anyone ever believe him that the original Claus has come down the mountain to punish the naughty? Rare Exports starts out slow and quietly tragic, but by the end becomes a ridiculous ride that makes you throw up your hands in surrender and laugh.BeasleyOnFilm
A crazy alternative Christmas movie.sureup
Agree with mook, good stuff!Tidorith
Move over Die Hard, someone has a new favourite Christmas movie.Not that this movie should be mistaken for being even remotely like Die Hard.
This is what modern fairy tale movies should be, if we're making them in the original spirit of the old European fairy tales.
Marmalade
That ending is absolutely incredible.mook
An ingenious dark Finnish fairytale. Well structured & succinct, but slightly runs out of steam. 7/10.Re-watched as part of my efforts to watch 31 Xmas films in December...
mook
An inventive and entertaining anti-Xmas film from Finland, with a dark twist on the Santa story. 7/10.Follow me on Twitter @LastFilmSeen
Zeltaebar
Don't expect a spectacular climax, but tension builds steadily thoughout the movie and they have great fun playing with the Santa Clause mythology. Enjoyable and recommended. But you will probably only bother to see it once.sammysin
Absolutely excellent.AFGiant
This was surprisingly good. A new holiday classic?Aissi
Wonderful. A really great, slightly dark film.Skyscore
http://www.afisha.ru/movie/202181/review/352698/