Emily Berry "Black Ice" (Kotwicais, 2007) is the story of a doctor, Saara (Outi Mäenpää), who at first seems to have a great relationship with her architect husband, Leo (Martti Suosalo). Then she finds out he has been cheating on her with one of his students. Later she finds out he has been cheating on her with a series of women even since they were engaged. She moves out and decides to take revenge on her husband and his new mistress. Saara ends up creating a fake identity as a psychologist named Crista, and befriends the other woman, Tuuli (Ria Kataja). Things quickly become complicated and twisted as the story evolves. Who is being honest? Who is wearing a mask (figuratively or literally)? In many scenes there is little or no dialogue, but tension and emotions are felt through the actors' eyes and the music. This suspenseful film is a great psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. While the story revolves around two women who love the same man, the man himself is not seen very often. This film focuses on the complex relationship between the two women, something you don't see very often in film, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. Both of the women are excellent actresses, bringing depth and emotion through the dialogue and possibly even more so in scenes without dialogue. When Saara attends Tuuli's karate class for the first time, there is a powerful scene were she stares her down from the back of the class. Everyone else has their eyes closed except Saara; you see her watching and waiting with such hate, contemplating what she will do to this woman who is sleeping with her husband. In the beginning of the film Saara is innocent and shocked to learn that she has been betrayed. The viewer initially roots for her, but she quickly turns to manipulation and deceit to take revenge on her husband and his mistress. We are first introduced to Tuuli as the other woman, a dishonest cheater. However, as Saara gets closer to Tuuli and they become best friends, she becomes likable and sympathetic. This caught me off guard. You have reasons to both root for and hate both of the main characters. Tuuli is completely open and honest with Saara. Eventually it becomes hard to tell if Saara is pretending to be friends with Tuuli, or if she is starting to actually become her best friend. When she is talking to her husband about Tuuli, and he calls her "that chick", she defends her in a way, saying, "she is your girlfriend, not just some chick." You can tell she feels bad for Tuuli after she gets back together with her husband, even though that is what she wanted. In the end though when Saara finds out that Tuuli might be pregnant with her husband's baby, she takes advantage of her in a despicable way. Soon after, Tuuli learns the truth and is shocked to learn of her own betrayal. Their roles have essentially reversed, and both are left devastated. I enjoyed the music in the film from the start. The score was written and performed by members of the Finnish metal band Apocolyptica. It was an interesting choice that I think worked out well. Often during scenes with no dialogue, the music gives you a better look at the characters' inner thoughts and feelings. I remember one scene in particular where this was effective. Saara and Tuuli are going ice-skating together, and appear to be two friends just out having a good time. However the music does not reflect this; it is serious and intense, reminding you that Saara has dark ulterior motives. The situation is tragic in multiple ways, and the music does well at reflecting the mood. The way the characters evolved and changed throughout the story kept me engaged and interested throughout the film. The complexities and twists surprised me, and moved me in ways I did not expect. Some of the plot was not necessarily very believable, but if you allow yourself to go along with the story it will take you for an interesting and dramatic ride with several twist and turns. The director, Petri Kotwica, planned this film for six years; you can tell it was very well thought out. I did not think I would like this movie as much as I did; I thought it would be a typical love triangle story of infidelity. The acting, music, irony, and convolutions make it stand out as a very good film.

SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain Psychological and very sexy thriller in a game of cat and mouse. What Black Ice tends to focus on is honor and honesty more than actual love. The partners are together, but it's never clear as to why. In one instance we find out that the marriage at the center of the movie has had all of its big moments marked by an affair. Maenpaa gives a fantastic performance as a woman investigating her husband's affair. She wants answers, but doesn't resort to petty violence or making a scene. Towards the end she does begin to crack. A more malicious character is shown, but at the same time we understand where the aggression came from. People justify their actions, but more people end up getting hurt. It's never terribly shocking, but the way the director handles conflict is very imaginative. The non-violent martial arts lessons, showing a restrained form of anger where all the punches are being thrown by the looks in the eyes. Stunning cinematography that captures the frozen landscapes, and a haunting and chilling score also provide extra atmosphere.

williama-678-222173 Musta Jaa's dark triangle thriller definitely got my attention with its suspense and twists, but for a country that views women as powerful, this film did a wonderful job of showing them as weak. Perhaps I hold the Scandinavian countries to a higher standard when it comes to social liberalism, but for a movie made in 2007, I do not like its messages. Why are these women victims? Sara should have left her husband immediately, and Tuuli set herself up for a lifestyle of insecurity and unhappiness. Kotwica claims that he wanted two powerful female leads, well Petri, these ladies were pathetic. This movie makes me NOT want to go to Finland, that's for sure.It seems that Kotwica is trying to get us close to both Saara and Tuuli. His portrayal of Tuuli encourages the viewer to be sympathetic towards her. Long takes, using a close up shot show her crying and miserable. EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS DATING A MARRIED MAN! This girl is young and beautiful, and she goes after some pock faced homely professor who is "so intelligent" and truly "appreciates her art." Barf! Physical appearance is obviously not the issue here; I just felt like being descriptive. The fact is Tuuli is stupid, ignorant, and epitomizes everything a female should not be. No matter how well you do in school or how great of a citizen you are, sleeping with someone's husband makes you dumb. At the end of the movie, I was crying! I was so happy that Saara helped Tuuli. I wanted her to live, and I felt sorry for her. Then, I thought about it, and realized that she is dating/dated a married man. Duh. I believe in second chances, I do, but Kotwica made me forget everything immoral about Tuuli's character. There were even times when I thought Sara was the annoying one.Let's look at a more positive aspect of Finland. Gender equality! Both Saara and Tuuli are women with good economic standing. Saara is a doctor, showing that she has had many years of education, while Tuuli is currently studying art at the university. Their roles in society seem to portray gender egalitarianism. This portrayal is quite accurate, as Finnish women tend to have full time jobs and have equal rights in the labor market (Arber and Lahelma, 125). In fact, women have historically participated in the labor force. For example, in 1950, 41% of women were employed (Arber and Lahelma, 123). This was possibly the one good thing these women had going for them, but what good is gender equality in the schools and work place when your significant other is a cheating, shallow a. hole? Maybe the consumption of alcohol is a contributor in the poor behavior of these females. We saw Tuuli and pretend Saara go out on two occasions and drink heavily. Sara banged a German exchange student half her age, and Tuuli often cried over her gross married boyfriend. In Substance Abuse (2001), Bloomfield, Gmel, Neve and Mustonen found a large increase in alcohol consumption among Finnish women since 1970. They believe that the egalitarian society causes women to adopt behaviors, such as drinking, from males because they are "increasingly moving into professions and/or lifestyles similar to those of men" (39). Perhaps these are issues that Kotwica wants to address, because it sounds like drinking and infidelity is a prevalent issue in Finland. If his intentions were to prove that this type of lifestyle is unjust and immoral, then yes, I agree with him. My one question I still must continue to ask is: why make Tuuli so innocent? She is a woman who should be able to recognize that her choices are bad for her well being. Is this how Finland views infidelity? I'm not a religious person, so I do not believe adultery is sin, but I think marriage requires commitment between two individuals. Two people in a marriage should have enough respect for each other not to cheat! How about a divorce???? Legally, they're fairly easy to get in Finland.Honestly, I did not hate Musta Jää. It was exciting and had exquisite cinematography, and I always enjoy a film with an unpredictable plot line. And for the record, I am not opposed to traveling to Finland. I know better than to judge a country by one representation. However, the two women angered me, a lot.BibliographyArber, Sara and Eero Lahelma. (1993). "Women, Paid Employment and Ill-Health in Britain and Finland". Acta Sociologica. Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 121-138. Sage Publications. Bloomfield, Kim, Gerhard Gmel, Rudie Neve and Heli Mustonen. (2001). "Investigating Gender Convergence in Alcohol Consumption in Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, and Switzerland: A Repeated Survey Analysis". Substance Abuse. Vol. 22, No. 1.

fedor8 Forget the much-hyped Bermuda Triangle - a Finnish love triangle is where all the danger lurks nowadays.First of all, if you're love-sick and slightly drunk, and you're in the middle of a Finnish Summer (meaning around -30 C) you'd better stay away from the wheel. And if you feel that jää musta drive drunk, make sure you don't crash into a tree, because taking a stroll through the countryside in a Finish night is not an option.It seemed for a moment that one of the triangle's members might lose their life in the tritest of movie clichés - a car accident - but fortunately the writer opts for a cleverer solution.What at first smells like a typical, dull relationship drama quickly develops into an entertaining guessing game: what the hell will happen next? M.Y. is often unpredictable, has a healthy number of plot-twists, and is always on the verge of becoming a thriller (but fortunately doesn't).Toward the end, it almost seems as if all the participants of the love triangle will snuff it. However, "only" one-third lose their life. And because a baby is born at the end, we still end up with a trio...The events tend to unfold a little on the far-fetched side toward the end, but never to the point of blatant hitchcockian or dePalmian insulting of the viewer's intelligence.