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Movies / On DVD / The Cuckoo
The Cuckoo

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The Cuckoo (2003)

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Reviews Counted:61

Fresh:53

Rotten:8

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: A sweet and amusing comedy.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sexual content and violence

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Jul 11, 2003 Limited

Synopsis: September 1944. Several days before Finland, an ally of Nazi Germany, pulls out of World War II, Veiko (Ville Haapasalo), a lone Finnish sniper, is turned on by his compatriots for a being a... September 1944. Several days before Finland, an ally of Nazi Germany, pulls out of World War II, Veiko (Ville Haapasalo), a lone Finnish sniper, is turned on by his compatriots for a being a pacifist and, in their eyes, a reluctant fighter. As a punishment, the young man is placed in shackles, nailed to a heavy rock and forced to wear a German uniform, knowing full well that Russian soldiers have orders to shoot Germans on sight, without accepting surrender. Veiko is thus left to die in a remote Lapland forest, with nothing but a few supplies and his wits. Days pass, and after several failed attempts, he succeeds in freeing himself and heads for safety, shackles still attached.

While trying to escape, Veiko witnesses the following through his rifle's telescope: Ivan (Viktor Bychkov), a captain in the Russian army accused of anti-Soviet correspondence, is being held prisoner by the Soviet Military secret police. En route to his court martial, Russian planes accidentally bomb the vehicle carrying the disgraced captain, killing the driver and his guard. Not far away is Anni (Anni-Kristiina Juuso), a Lapp reindeer farmer whose husband was drafted into the war by the Finnish authorities four years earlier, never to return. Hungry and alone, the young and resourceful widow locates the bodies of Ivan and his captors while foraging for food. As she begins to bury the dead, Anni discovers that Ivan is still alive, but seriously hurt. She carries him to her wooden hut and nurses him back to health.

Meanwhile, Veiko, in search of tools to remove his shackles, stumbles upon Anni's farm. Thus World War II creates the unlikeliest of bonds (between three different people, from three different cultures, speaking three different languages.) Comic, and sometimes tragic, misunderstandings soon arise, resulting in a passionate, and very human, three-way relationship.

Unable to communicate with the others and unaware that the war between the USSR and Finland is over, Ivan is convinced that Veiko is a German soldier gone astray; to Ivan, the German uniform the Finnish soldier was forced to wear is further proof. But Veiko is unaware of Ivan's hatred and just wants to cut off his shackles, return home and put the war behind him. Yet, to avoid falling into enemy hands, Veiko opts to stay on Anni's farm for temporary safety.

The earthy and sensuous Anni, who has not been with a man in four years, could not be more delighted with her good fortune, language barrier be damned. For Anni, Veiko and Ivan are not enemies, but just men.

An uncommon and touching bond develops, as the three unlikely souls begin a domestic routine of hunting and gathering in preparation for the long Lap winter. The two men do what they can to contribute to Anni's well being: Veiko builds a sauna and Ivan picks mushrooms….

Veiko, Ivan and Anni communicate only in gesture. Starved for love and physical touch, Anni seduces young, strapping Veiko, much to the chagrin of jealous middle-aged Ivan.

Then a plane crashes in the forest near Anni's hut, spilling leaflets indicating Finland's surrender to the Allies. Veiko thinks he can finally return home safely, but Ivan – who has not seen the leaflets - manages to rummage a pistol out of the wreckage and, still convinced that Veiko is a Fascist, shoots him. When he soon realizes that the war is over, Ivan is torn with remorse.

The nurturing Anni brings Veiko back to life through a series of ancient Lapp rituals. With Veiko bedridden, Anni's needs for companionship and sexual longing draw Ivan into her bed. Gradually, Ivan and Veiko, no longer separated by ethnic hate nor rivalry for the affections of Anni, become friends. As winter arrives and the two men head back to their respective homes in opposite directions, Anni is left behind with memories – and much more – of her two unlikely comrades in war and peace. -- © Sony Pictures Classics [More]

Starring: Anni-Kristiina Juuso, Ville Haapasalo, Viktor Bychkov, Mikhail Korobochkin

Starring: Anni-Kristiina Juuso, Ville Haapasalo, Viktor Bychkov, Mikhail Korobochkin, Alexei Kashnikov

Director: Alexander Rogozhkin

Director: Alexander Rogozhkin
Screenwriter: Alexander Rogozhkin
Producer: Sergei Selyanov
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Release:

Dec 2, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Cuckoo

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
09/08/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[A] gentle, often funny, always very human film about loneliness and unexpected companionship...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
08/08/04
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/04
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A gently funny mini-epic whose 'make love not war' message is delivered in three languages at once.

Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
01/09/04
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/18/03
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

Juuso, who made her film debut at 22 in this movie, is spunky and funny. The two guys play off each other like bickering old pals.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
11/07/03
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

Gives us something to think about: How much of what we consider civilization -- intellectual pursuit, politics, nationalism -- relies on language?

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
10/10/03
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

Anni is a feisty little thing and you can't help but root for her when she challenges these two burly soldiers and gets out of the relationship exactly what she wants.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
10/10/03
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

Writer/director Alexander Rogozhkin has a way of lapsing into cuteness when the story calls for something more challenging, but The Cuckoo eventually finds its own kind of light, ridiculous tone that generally doesn't talk down to the characters.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
10/09/03
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A bit overextended for its very simple story...but for the most part this is a charming, curiously touching picture.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
10/09/03
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

A pretty good film -- a dark comedy rigorously observed -- until Rogozhkin reveals himself to be just another New Age softie.

Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
10/03/03
Richard C. Walls
Richard C. Walls
Orlando Weekly

A consistently hilarious collision of cultures and a string of misunderstandings.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
10/03/03
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

A mystical fairy tale by Alexander Rogozhkin as beautiful as it is tender.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
09/20/03
Marta Barber
Marta Barber
Miami Herald

Quietly engrossing.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
09/18/03
Laura Kelly
Laura Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

A trifling treat that neither amounts to nor aspires to anything substantial.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
09/15/03
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Rogozhkin makes nearly all of his points with surprising subtlety.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
09/12/03
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
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