Lapland Odyssey

A comedy of frustration with distinctly dark undercurrents, Dome Karukoski's Lapland Odyssey starts with a premise reminiscent of Hollywood's frat-boy farces. Beautiful, hardworking Inari (Pamela Tola) gives her likable slacker boyfriend Janne (Jussi Vatanen) money to buy a digital TV converter so the couple can enjoy a romantic evening watching Titanic after she comes home. After Janne wastes the dough with his drinking buddies—cynical Kapu (Jasper Pääkkönen) and desperate-to-get-laid loser Räihänen (Timo Lavikainen)—and returns home empty-handed, Inari announces that she is moving out unless he can somehow secure the converter before midnight. That sets the hapless male trio off on a journey marked by one disaster after another, including harassment by unfriendly cops, a run-in with some Russian mobsters, a wild swim with some very physical girls, and encounters with uncooperative shopkeepers. And while they're away, Inari's smarmy ex-boyfriend shows up to help her pack—and tries to get her into bed. While the lustrous widescreen cinematography offers some stunning views of the frigid climes of northern Finland, the characters are as cold as the temperature, despite a revelation midway through that is supposed to add emotional depth. So while Lapland Odyssey deserves credit for tweaking a familiar formula, it is hobbled by an uneasy tone and generally lax air. Optional. (F. Swietek)