Lapland Odyssey

Quirky, laugh-out-loud funny and totally unpredictable, this action-packed Finnish road-trip comedy is an absolute charmer. Set in the dark, snow-covered landscape of Northern Finland, the tale begins when a young woman named Inari gets frustrated that her good-for-nothing boyfriend Janne won't even get off his butt to buy the only thing she wants: a TV cable box. So she makes an ultimatum: either a converter box by morning or she moves out. This thrusts Janne, along with his two hapless and equally lazy friends, out of the house and into a series of increasingly crazy misadventures, all in the quest of getting the puzzling cable box. They soon confront gun-shooting Russians, some very mean reindeer, Inari's vengeful ex-boyfriend, a watery oasis filled with topless water polo-playing beauties and a naked run through the snow. All the while, the police are on their heels. Reminiscent of the wacky characters that seem to inhabit Aki Kaurismäki films, this comedy, paced at breakneck speed, is a terrific delight.