IMDb RATING
7.0/10
3.9K
YOUR RATING
An exodus to a better life in Eira.An exodus to a better life in Eira.An exodus to a better life in Eira.
Sakari Kuosmanen
- Frank Armoton
- (as Saku Kuosmanen)
Tuomari Nurmio
- Taksikuski
- (as Hannu Nurmio)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first movie ever to include scenes in the Helsinki underground, opened in 1982.
- GoofsThe Director is seen in reflection of Frank's (Sakke Järvenpää) sunglasses in "My friend got sick, can you help us" scene.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Keskiyön auringon kuvat (1987)
- SoundtracksAlkutekstimusiikki
Composed by Aki Kaurismäki
Arranged by Mikko Mattila and Jone Takamäki
Performed by Casablanca Vox and Jone Takamäki
Saxophone: Jone Takamäki
Drums: Kalevi Raittinen
Featured review
A not entirely successful mix of absurd randomness, scathing social critique and eccentric, deadpan humor
Kaurismaki followed on the dour and heavy drama of his debut Crime and Punishment with the often funny, significantly more light-hearted, absurdist fare of Calamari Union. Fifteen guys named Frank and their retarded companion Pekka (who speaks English for some reason) decide to leave their seedy downtown neighborhood and dead-end lives behind and move to the suburb of Eira, on the other side of the city. Eira immediately acquires a quasi-mythic status, equal parts promised land and elysian fields, and their trip through the hostile, soulless city landscape is beset with hardships worthy to a trip filled with such religious allegories.
There's not much of a plot to speak of. The Franks make their way through the city and is every man out for himself. Once in a while they stop to comment on their surroundings, sleep in phone booths, trees and other strange places, offer nuggets of wisdom about vanity, inactivity, time and age, part scathing social critique and part insights into human nature; they also stop to hijack members of the parliament, a hearse, get free rides in a taxi or on top of a car, sleep in a beach or under a table and last but not least, die funny or just plain random deaths.
That is Calamari Union in a nutshell and there lie both its charms and failures. It has the improvised feeling of a freejazz piece - like them, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It can be inspired, infectiously cool and funny but it can also be meandering and aimless. You take the good with the bad I guess.
There's not much of a plot to speak of. The Franks make their way through the city and is every man out for himself. Once in a while they stop to comment on their surroundings, sleep in phone booths, trees and other strange places, offer nuggets of wisdom about vanity, inactivity, time and age, part scathing social critique and part insights into human nature; they also stop to hijack members of the parliament, a hearse, get free rides in a taxi or on top of a car, sleep in a beach or under a table and last but not least, die funny or just plain random deaths.
That is Calamari Union in a nutshell and there lie both its charms and failures. It has the improvised feeling of a freejazz piece - like them, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It can be inspired, infectiously cool and funny but it can also be meandering and aimless. You take the good with the bad I guess.
helpful•233
- chaos-rampant
- Oct 7, 2008
- How long is Calamari Union?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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