Levottomat 3 - kun mikään ei riitä

I disagree with the previous reviewer's comments on the script. The film is well written; the dialogue simple, real and without ostentatiousness. It's a personal drama and the script reflects that. It's not the kind of film to throw in twists for the sake of plot interest. It's an exploration of one woman's descent into her addiction: slowly, gradually, and with full knowledge of where she's headed, we watch her life disintegrate. That's what happens with addiction. The low-key nature of this film is what makes it so good. The direction is stylish yet simple, and complements the script very well. How much worse to over-dramatise what is already highly dramatic subject matter?

I am a huge fan of European film making, and it is often hard in the UK to see some of the great films that are doing the rounds in Europe. I was lucky enough to catch this film on DVD as it was recommended to me by a friend. I am really glad that I did, I totally enjoyed it, yes it has flaws but I think the subject matter was innovative and new - how many films can say that? Bravo for tackling the theme of sex addiction from a women's perspective! Solid well written script, great acting (if you can ignore the therapists performance) and quiet beautifully shot (if you can ignore the rather tacky TV show snippets at the end credits) I highly recommend this film - but I guess it's just one of those films that you will either love or hate - thankfully I can say I LOVED IT!

Right, first I have to say that I have never before commented a movie because I haven't felt that I need to. This movie made an exception. I kind of liked the original Levottomat, as I could identify myself with the main character and I also thought the story and casting were quite good. This of course doesn't mean the sequels are equally good, not at all. Usually the sequels simply are cheap imitations and fail miserably.

Levottomat 3 proves my case only partially. The story behind all the glitter, bad directing and bad acting, feels all right at the first glance. Although, I would think the idea of female sex addict isn't yet approved by the great public (not even by all females). Whatever the case, the story is semi decent.

The same can't be said about casting, choice of actors and directing. I wouldn't like to be disrespectful against miss Grönlund or miss Virtanen, but one of them or both together ruined this movie. The "sex doctor/psychologist" performs equally bad and is extremely unbelievable. Show me a psychologist who would judge someone after just few words said in a emotional storm (or as in the case of this movie, a slightly darker cloud, not a storm)? The actors equal to products of human product replacement. Simply horrible and unbelievable.

As I said in the beginning, the story is quite all right. The only flaw is that the movie is simply unbelievable. I entertain myself with the idea of this being directed and acted by someone else. I smiled slightly for the thought of Kati Outinen being "Jonna" and Sakari Kuosmanen being "Niklas". I would definitely buy the whole thing bit easier. I wish it was set in a bit less glamorous atmosphere in the first place. Come on, an architect and a big ad guru? Nobody believes that. How about clerk and accountant? Car repairman and housewife? Waitress and construction worker? Anyway, one of the worst ones I have seen: 4/10

I disagree with the previous reviewer about the ads.. I think the product placement in this movie is done with a good taste and it's not too obvious compared to many other movies.

Anyway, the movie itself could have been so much better with a better script. The movie is well-directed, actors are good and good-looking, atmosphere is fitting, and basically all the elements for a good film are there - BUT the script is totally unoriginal, predictable and boring. The screenwriter should have included some surprising twists to the plot. As it is, it resembles more a propaganda film for conservative moralists than an entertaining, fictional movie.

Kieslowski's colour trilogy must had been some sort of an inspiration to all the unattached trilogies we're having these days. Producer Markus Selin is one of the most influential producers in the Finnish film scene and is often credited as the man who brought Finnish commercial cinema back after some 40 years of absence in late 1990's.

The so called Restless-trilogy was meant to be a series of films directed by young directors about the state of the young adults in Finland. A great subject and a great idea although one could see the commercial aspects of this money-making early 30's demographics shine through.

The first part of the trilogy "Levottomat" (Restless, 1999)can be seen as a huge success for Finnish cinema being controversial, sexy and very much tapped into the moment in time as well as the subject. The second part "Minä ja Morrison" (Me and Morrison, 2001) was slightly dimmer success as for some reason it wasn't marketed as the second part. The film and acting were good, though the story ended a little suddenly and the deeper aspects of modern young adulthood were more absent than in "Levottomat".

The third part i.e. "Levottomat 3" (Restless 3, 2004) was a complete let-down of the trilogy. Huge skin-deep marketing, poor acting, poor dialogue, poor story and safe and "pop" choices in casting made sure that the audience felt sick about the whole trilogy. It is told that screenwriters resigned throughout the project and in the end it was just pure bad luck that the last one's name ended up in the credits. Whereas the earlier parts got their young directors to a beginning of a promising career, this one must had been the worst call-card for the poor director who obviously didn't know what sort of a money-making machinery she was getting into.

Sure I should write something about the film itself. Well, dialogue in "Oxford Finnish" is the first thing to take you of the mood of getting into the story. The story itself about sex-addicted young mother getting de-railed for her ambitions has a certain contemporary touch to it but the solid numb acting between her and his husband and her and the new lover of doom leaves everyone stone cold. The plot shows how things get from bad to worse and then a shimmering happyish ending.

I think the only positive thing in this film was to tie it to the contemporary Helsinki scenery at the time when the nations biggest building project (Kamppi commercial and traffic centre) was being built right in the middle of the city. Well, that's about it.