Mummola (Family Time)
2023
****
Director: Tia Kouvo
Cast: Leena Uotila, Ria Kataja, Elina Knihtilä, Tom Wentzel, Jarkko Pajunen, Sakari Topi, Elli Paajanen, Toomas Talikka, Heikki Pitkänen, Miika Laakso
Like every year, sisters Susanna and Helena and their respective families gather in their parents' home to celebrate Christmas. This year, however, frustrations and unresolved tensions begin to bubble to the surface. Tia Kouvo's feature debut is a subtle, poignant, and melancholic dark comedy that explores the complexities of familial bonds. The end result is like a restrained Finnish version of August: Osage County. Kouvo's visual style can be alienating, as her static camera merely observes the events in the space and never cuts to a close-up.
