Producing Adults

(Lapsia ja aikuisia - Kuinka niitä tehdään?
Children and Adults: How Are They Made?)

Just when you think you've grown up...everything changes

Venla works as a psychologist at a fertility clinic, counselling couples who are struggling to have children, whilst seemingly unable to conceive with her partner, speed-skater Antero. Enlisting the help of her new colleague, fertility doctor Satu, the two grow closer as Venla uncovers the lengths Antero is going to prevent her from getting pregnant.

At first, I was kind of worried about watching Producing Adults. It seemed to me that it could easily slip into being overly offensive in its gender archetypes, and to be brutally honest, it does, but it is also often hilarious at the same time. Whilst very misandropic (there's only one positive male character in the film, Satu's brother Miro, all the rest are idiots), the two female characters are warm and likeable. Minna Haapkyla (Kuutamolla, FC Venus) and Minttu Mustakallio (Pesärikko) putting in good performances, and they do look good together, which is always nice.

One major issue though is that the relationship between Venla and Satu really isn't delved into; apparently they spend quite a bit of time together, but most of it's off-camera, and when they are onscreen, there really isn't much of anything to suggest developing feelings between them. It's disappointing, because you can't help but want to see some kind of great romance, but instead we're relegated to scraps from the floor. The only thing that really speaks to me about the relationship is Venla trying desperately to feel some kind of intimacy with a partner, and Satu being the only person who she feels that she can be open with and close to. In that aspect, it's not so much of a sexual relationship but rather just a matter of emotional availability deciding Venla's choice.

Whilst the characters are sometimes uncomfortable with each other, that sense of unease being conferred to the viewer, there are several moments in the film that caused me to laugh out loud, the absurdity of their reactions to these interactions often somewhat disarming to the viewer, but can also serve to alienate them further. This film can't really be classed as a comedy or a relationship drama, but as more of a flawed character study. Whilst the females are eminently more likeable, they can still be deceitful and cruel, making it hard to sympathise with anyone at some points. There are some attempts to show another side of Antero, but they pretty much fall flat, the character seemingly working on his thousand-yard stare in response to comments that actually make him think about things.

One of the high-points for Producing Adults is the direction. Whilst it is weak in a few points, Aleksi Salmenperä uses colour to good effect, and sneaks in a few metaphors here and there throughout the film, building upon the sporadically weak writing provided by Pekko Pesonen, lifting the film from something merely average to a deeper, more involving experience. Salmenperä is what really makes this film what it is, and thoroughly deserves the credit for it.

Another of the big problems with this film is the poor quality of the English subtitles, a workmanlike attempt at best, several lines going completely untranslated from Finnish. Salmenperä himself has commented on how a lot of the nuances (and vulgarity) in the language are missing from the translated script. I can't help but wonder how much better this film would have been with a decent translation, but it's unlikely to ever get one beyond that on the already released DVD.

The ending is somewhat non-descript, and while it is somewhat of a happy one, it leaves a lot of plot threads unresolved, that honestly should have been developed further. The film could have done with being twenty minutes or so longer, developing Venla and Satu's relationship more, and tying up the loose ends, to produce a more satisfying package.

Producing Adults is fun to watch, despite the litany of flaws that can be picked out in just a single viewing. So long as you can appreciate the good points of the film, it should be enjoyable. It's just a shame that this film could have been so much better than it is with a better script and a slightly larger budget.

7/10

-- Reviewed on October the 5^th, 2007.

Find more details about Producing Adults over at The Internet Movie Database.