Koirat eivät käytä housuja

You sometimes hear people say things like 'film is dead '- and with all the straight to Netflix drivel that's out there, their argument could be made. This is the type of artwork that counters that debate and flat out obliterates it. Every frame of this movie communicates something beautiful. Every moment does the same. And that is to say, beauty in this case means a slice of life that is heightened and made all the more visceral and real. This is a true 'underdog' story...pardon the pun, but it's about someone who experiences the lowest of lows, and is smacked in the face (literally) with a second chance at love. This films shows that no, the world practically NEVER works out the way we want it, but if we are open to new things, we can not only survive, but also THRIVE. This movie made me cry tears of joy at the end. It's the weird love story that we need right now in this loony world.

I had a hunch that the only criticism one might read about this movie is about the "BDSM culture" and how this movie fails to portray it. It's as much about BDSM culture as Lolita is about pedophilia - newsflash, it's not about it. It's also not a documentary. It's art. Chill out.

That being said. The movie is very minimal and I personally loved it. Almost every frame has a meaning and it's not a movie to casually eyeball over. The duet of Krista Kosonen and Pekka Strang is magnificent. Great film making and acting over here, I truly appreciate it.

So if you're interested in some nordic noir, some scandinavian weirdness, the poster and the name tickles you... give this film a chance.

There's a moment in your past that has affected, the way you interface and stay connected, and it's taken quite a tangent, it involves a bottle of scent, but that's what makes you stand tall, fully erected. It starts with replication of that moment, when your world turned upside down with flooded torment, and you've found another soul, she is the south to your north pole, you couldn't hope for a more invested, proponent. But the path to your salvation is not easy, and it may make the odd folk a little queasy, it might take your breath away, there may be plier-work at play, and to some, it may be thought of as, quite sleazy.

Great movie for the connoisseur of the unusual and odd. If the story sounds interesting and appealing to you - watch, if not, do not bother. Anyway, I enjoyed watching Dogs Don't Wear Pants a lot - remarkable and strong are the performances by Pekka Strang and Krista Kosonen - without that fine acting, the story would look awkward, ridiculous and just fall apart.

Final words: in these times, where card-box characters and stories flood our screens en masse, an indeed exceptional delicious piece - if you like something different to watch.

Dogs Don't Wear Pants (Finland, J.P. Valkeapaa, 2019) - "It is by going down into the abyss," said Joseph Campbell "that we recover the treasures of life."

A surgeon, Juha, sinks into depression after his wife drowns. Neglecting his job, daughter and health, Juha is breaking down. When he stumbles into the orbit of Mona, a dominatrix, she becomes an obsession for him. Through her there are flashbacks to moments with his wife. Juha cannot get enough. Mona too is infatuated. Here is someone impervious to her charms. As they push each other deeper, someone has got to blink.

The radiance of Dogs Don't Wear Pants is the focus on the characters of both Mona and Juha, not one or the other. Also, it is deep and enlightening in ways I did not expect. There is no simple formula and no one has sold out to "the man." The film is liberating, cathartic. "You are alive after all," says a friend to Juha. So are all who witness and appreciate this little gem. Streaming on Shudder. Four and a half of five stars.