Film review: Seurapeli

“Seurapeli” or “Games people play” (in their English version) is a film for all of those who think that getting old wasn’t what you were always expecting. A bunch of friends get reunited in a cabin to spend the weekend for the birthday of one of them, after some time without seeing each other. They are in their thirties, in that critical period where standards have told you to reach your goals. First they will show the masks that life has sculpted for them before we get to know their inner selves. One of them proposes to not use their mobiles over the weekend, making the experience more intense.

Every chapter in the film is presented with a great choice of music, really ceremonial, to anticipate the events, accompanied with scenes of animals and nature that are giving clues about what is going to happen. Every character has their own layers to peel as an onion and you get hooked on what is going to happen in the end with all of them. The appearance of a Swede in the scenery makes the eternal inner battle between Finns and Swedes fall into stereotypes (“Swedes always do better and that’s what we are jealous of”). 

As a person that grew up in a Southern culture, I could have wished to expect to see the events getting even crazier, but Finland is still as we know, more discreet. 

Tamara Aalto

SEURAPELI

• Director: Jenni Toivoniemi
• Screenwriter: Jenni Toivoniemi
• Cinematography: Jarmo Kiuru
• Scenography: Milja Aho
• Make-up: Kata Launonen
• Costume designer: Jouni Mervas
• Music design: Jan Forsström
• Sound design: Tuomas Klaavo
• Editor: Samu Heikkilä
• Actors: Emmi Parviainen, Samuli Niittymäki, Laura Birn, Eero Milonoff, Christian Hillborg, Iida-Maria Heinonen, Paula Vesala ja Paavo Kinnunen.
• Producers: Venla Hellstedt and Elli Toivoniemi / Tuffi Films
• Age limit: 12