Directed by Kadri Kousaar
Estonia | Estonian w/ English subtitles | Fiction | 2016 | 89 min
Film Source: Film Sales Co.
Showtime: Thursday, October 27 | 8:30 p.m. | BB
Awards: Estonia’s official submission to the 2016 Academy Awards
What is it with the films of Scandinavia and neighboring countries, such as Estonia, and their penchant for dark comedy? Sharing an offbeat sense of humor, this Fargo-esque tale of idiosyncratic characters will keep you guessing until the end. Meanwhile, you will enjoy meeting many of this small town’s characters — first and foremost Elsa, the eponymous mother in the film, who has to give up her job to care for her comatose schoolteacher son, who was shot at by an unknown. To find relief from a tedious marriage and a house with neutral tones of beige and grey (echoed in the cinematography), Elsa conducts a secretive romance. Many people enter and leave the house, and for a small town where everybody knows all there is to know about everybody else, the policeman investigating the case cannot fathom why no one seems to know of her indiscretions. This wonderfully pitch-black comedy hides some dark secrets. ~OY
Also showing: Saturday, October 29 | 11:30 a.m. | BB