proviant

On thing I don't understand is why is Peeter Simm so celebrated as a film director in Estonia almost like he's the greatest filmmaker ever risen on the shores of Baltic Sea. His best film is children's movie 'Arabella' (that itself is wonderful film actually), but rest of his work is mediocre at best, and 'The Lonely Island' is even worse. This could be his worst film of all times, and it is very close to be one of the worst Estonian film of all times (there are quite close competition on that place, but I can't say for sure as I haven't seen all the films).

The film had a nice general idea about loneliness and show different people and stories and how they are all tied together - similar formulas have been tried many times before (and with much better results). What we have here is a mess. No direction and sloppy editing can confuse the viewer at first, but when he gets used of the rhythm (or lack of the rhythm of the film) it is possible to follow the stories. As all the stories progressing one short scene at the time and they are all mixed together, we are shown too much unnecessary stuff and no useful information what could help viewer to understand the characters better.

Then the actors - what' with all that dubbed voices. I understand that there were Latvian and Belarussian actors in it, but all the dubbing made the film sound ridiculous (it already looked ridiculous). Even the voices of Estonian actors were coming through like some filter that muffled and distorted them. Even the other sound were added later - like the police cars sirens (it is a film, but reality the sirens are different, or a super bike sounding like motor cross bike (that is the final drop for me to give one star to the film), and all sorts of that stuff.

There were two or three brilliant moments, but the vanished in this mess like a drop of water in the desert.

Almost forgotten and always overlooked haunting film about deportation of Estonian citizens by Soviet authorities in 1949. The film is important not only because it is the first Estonian (and overall) film that depicts deportations committed under Soviet regime, but it also shows how much part Estonian hanger-ons played in these atrocities. In that sense the film is well balanced - there are cruel and brutal government workers and there are those who are haunted by their ugly deeds, there are innocent victims of deportation and there are people who tried to play on both sides and got burned.

This film is the first of it's kind, but no other film came after that has never been so brutal. By that I don't mean much on screen physical violence, but more psychological aspects. There are many quiet moments with no dialogue or narration when we just see characters looking out of the window or staring at the distance, and the pain in their faces are telling more than words - we know there can be no happy ending.

Probably the only serious Estonian science fiction film after the 'Dead Mountaineer Hotel' (1979). This 29 minute short film seems little bit amateurish by it's production values, and low budget shines through like a flashlight. The only high point of the is the acting by its two leads. This all combined gives the film nice B-movie charm, and definitely somewhat enjoyable and entertaining sci-fi piece.

Some people call it classic, some call it serious science fiction, I call it the only real Estonian B-movie.