Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)

Cautiously Recommended

Finland/France/Norway/Sweden

Feature Film

Original Title: Rare Exports

Director: Jalmari Helander

Writers: Jalmari Helander, Petri Jokiranta, Sami Parkkinen, Juuso Helander

Cinematographer: Mika Orasmaa

Composers: Juri Seppä, Miska Seppä

Cast: Onni Tommila, Jorma Tommila, Tommi Korpela, Rauno Juvonen, Per Christian Ellefsen, Ilmari Järvenpää, Peeter Jakobi

When an American funded dig on the Russian side of the Korvatunturi Mountains unleashes an army of Santa’s elves onto the surrounding populace, kidnapping all the local children and stealing their hairdryers and other heat-producing electrical appliances, a small band of Finnish men find that they must stop them or else risk their nefarious leader – Mr. Claus – being thawed out and let loose on the world, in this mildly diverting but decidedly undercooked fantasy, which never quite delivers on the promise of its intriguing premise. Iain.Stott