Death is a Problem for the Living is a black comedy that not only offers bitter laughter but also invites reflection on the contradictions of modern life. The film is poised as another gem in the filmography of Teemu Nikki. Risto is an undertaker afflicted with a severe gambling addiction that is leading him to ruin. His life is a mess. Arto, on the other hand, is a gentle educator at a preschool whose life is upended by the discovery that he has only 15% of his brain functioning, a condition making him appear as a big child in the eyes of others.
Fate casts them as social outcasts, driving them to collaborate as grave diggers for an illegal venture, forming a skewed and at times bizarre duo. The characters confront their insecurities and fears but, despite everything, try to hold onto that shred of life without light, full of shadows. All of it is seasoned with extraordinary humanity, making them accomplices in the potential resolution of their respective issues.
The film, however, reflects a contemporary Finland that's far from the pure, candid, idyllic image we tend to think is the norm for this country.
The film manages to blend genres, shifting from the grotesque to the tragic, from the realistic to the surreal, without ever losing sight of the humanity of its characters, always teetering between the comic and the tragic.
Interesting is also the juxtaposition of Risto's gambling addiction, the main character, with an idea of the exaltation of Capitalism, where Capital itself becomes the only form of social affirmation. For Arto, the mockery and ridicule he faces from those around him often turn into humiliation, while he appears as a normal person, at times naive, looking at the world with wide-open eyes.
A film that talks about death, even in a raw way, but in reality, celebrates life with all its contradictions and complexities.
Prepare to be surprised, moved, and, most importantly, to reflect on the fragility and beauty of human life.
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