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| Movie Review: Cuckoo
It is near the end of WW II. The antiwar theme is lack of communication
(often comical) represented by our three characters. Two soldiers, one
a Finn (dressed in German soldier's garb) who was cast out of his unit
for his pacifist ideas - a Russian, who was a prisoner being taken for
execution by his own troops and a Lapp widow, who tends to her reindeer
alone in an isolated landscape because her husband was taken away to
join the army four years before. This unlikely trio charm us as their
prejudices melt away before our eyes because their shared circumstances
dictate their new behavior.
Director and writer Alexander Rogozhkin slowly unfolds
this story in painstaking detail from the MacGyver-like escapades of
the Finn soldier to the spiritual call of the Lapp woman as she coaxes
one of the soldiers back from death.
If you are looking for action, stay away from this film. If you want
something very different and interesting check it out.
Acting: The three characters are all perfect.
Predilection: None.
Critters: Reindeer, a beautiful dog and lots of fish
(mostly dead).
Food: K-rations, Smoked fish, mushrooms and berries.
Visual Art: The Lapland landscape was enough for me.
Blatant Product Placement: None.
Soundtrack: The use of almost no soundtrack added to
the desolation of the locale.
Opening Titles: I can't remember any.
Theater Audience: More crowded than I would have thought
it would be.
Quirky Meter: 2
Predictability Level: Moderate.
Oscar Worthy: No.
Nit Picking: They have biting midgies in Lapland,
no nits.
Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine. For other
antiwar films there are many to choose from out there, including No
Man's Land and my old favorite, Dr. Stranglove. You could
also watch the national news each night for coverage on Iraq and get
the same feeling of war's frustration.
Length: 100 minutes.
LOBO HOWLS: 6
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