FOUR LITTLE ADULTS Reviewed by Ian Merkel
I was lucky to have picked this wonderful, smartly crafted, and scripted film at VIFF this year. I even had a chance to briefly talk to director Selma Vilhunen about her film during a short break I took, and remarked, that it was so refreshing to see more Finnish Films this year at VIFF. We have not had much from Finland in the past few years! Unfortunately, I could not stay for the Q & A after.
The film starts off boldly with Juulia (Alma Pöysti) a key member of the Equality party in Finland and Matias (Eero Milonoff), her husband who is the local parish priest. They are having passionate sex in the bedroom with some sort of enhancement substance. Both are middle aged and have a pre-teen son Milo whom we are introduced to at morning breakfast, while both parents are getting ready for work. Matias has secretly been having an affair with a younger separated woman Enni (Oona Airola) for about 18 months, and is planning a trip with Enni to Stockholm soon. Enni too has a young daughter.
Shortly thereafter Juulia is informed by a close friend,who is Enni’s boss of Matias’s affair. Juulia confronts Matias who acknowledges the affair, and despite professing his love for Juulia that he has expressed many times, as well as his love for Enni, a tearful Juulia feels betrayed and cannot be consoled. However, Juulia, being a progressive soon to be leader of the Equity party, and not wanting to lose Matias gives them each a Polyamory guide that she has read, to support her decision.
The scenes move quickly and not long after Juulia also takes on a new non-binary drag performer named Miska in a scene that seems unrealistic, but performed with such finesse by both actors that it makes the film even more intriguing. Matia is at first outraged, reminding me of the pot calling the kettle black! It is the way that these unusual scenes are created with a blend of humor and pathos. So wonderfully crafted by director Selma Vilhunen