Tom of Finland

This film played out far better than I imagined it would. As a production it has a very solid and creative feel to it and over all I can't fault it. Of course it's based on a true story and for me who knew of Tom's work, I never knew the dramatic background behind it. To cram so much story into 2 hours obviously meant sacrifices but I think the writers did well there. The film gets over to the audience the sense of gay oppression in Finland around that period and the dangers that practicing gays had to live with. That all sets the scene in the first half of the film which is dramatic but downbeat. In the second half of the film which is mostly based in America it all opens out and in contrast to the first half has a real feel good about it. My score: 8 out of 10 Highly recommended

The hit of The 2017 Mardi Gras Film Festival and I can see why..

I couldn't help thinking watching this movie a few days before we find out if Australia has .voted YES hopefully or No ,heaven forbid to marriage Equality how far our GLBTIQ historic journey has travelled and we still have a long way to travel.

This film is more than a biography of the creator of Tom of Finland , its a document that shows the vilification persecution and intolerance that we experienced in the journey to liberation and the shut closet furtive underworld that younger GLBTQI, thankfully don't experience today.

If Tom of Finland was introduced as a cultural icon today for gay male sexuality he probably wouldn't have had the impact that he did in today's world of internet and technology but he deserves his place in our history and I'm glad he's being celebrated in this entertaining movie.

I enjoyed the film which spans the war years to the terrible AIDS holocaust years ,where a generation was lost forever. Well directed great script and wonderful performances by all the cast ,Tom 's not a film for everyone but up till today I had only a little knowledge of Tom of Finland . Of course I knew the raunchy sketches and their iconic significance to Gay culture but no idea about the creator Toulouse Laaksonen or the background to the creation of Tom.

So grateful to Adam and Kirsten and Mt Vic Flix , if it wasn't for them we would miss out on the very best of today's cinema.

Australia is on the verge of a social milestone in the gay rights movement as it awaits the result of the marriage equality survey. This makes the historical bio-pic Tom of Finland (2017) a timely reminder of the dark history of homophobia and the liberating power of equality. It is a true story of an artist whose work became the rallying iconography for gay pride.

We meet Touko Laaksonen, aka Tom of Finland (Pekka Strang), at the end of his Finnish military service just after World War II. The army was an oppressive environment for a gay man at a time when homosexuality was a crime. Inspired by the machismo of military uniforms, Tom secretly developed what became a universal artform that became emblematic of gay culture. His sketches depicted the exaggerated muscularity and sexual power of a social underclass that was regularly lampooned as effeminate, passive and weak. Leather-clad riders on powerful bikes with bulging genitals were regarded by authorities as pornographic but they became iconic self-identity images for the gay community. His early work was dangerous: while being interrogated under suspicion of being gay, a policeman tells him "we used to throw scum like you into concentration camps". While he was an underground criminal in Finland, he was a hero in America. When he arrived in California he was overwhelmed by the openness of America's gay culture, and throughout the 60s and 70s sexual revolution his work was widely exhibited and published. Today he is lauded as one of Finland's heroes.

This story engages at several levels. It is a tale about a gay man's coming out in a repressive society and the global impact he had on the recognition of the LGBTI community. That alone is a big story. But beyond the bio-pic narrative, there is a larger story about the power of art to transform the human condition. Across millennia, art has objectified physical beauty for visual pleasure. Tom's creative sketches beautified the male body in a way that re-defined gay masculinity, empowering those suffering from persecuted sexuality. The strength of the film is in its capture of the mood, fashion, and upheaval of the times. In its two hours spanning four decades of change, it leaps across time and space with editing that can feel disjointed. The cinematography is excellent and the filming palette portrays the gloom of repressive Finland, brightening into the kaleidoscopic colours and music of free America. Key performances are played with understated realism to emphasise the role of Tom's art in social change rather than Tom as a person.

If you have ever wondered what inspired the butch styles made famous by the Village People, now you know. Regardless of where this film is seen, Tom of Finland (2017) is a reminder of just how long it has taken for the gay community to enjoy equal rights and the struggles that still remain. This interesting well-made film sheds a warm light on an artist whose work has left a lasting impact on the creation of a more inclusive society.

Tom of Finland is definitely one of the most anticipated Finnish movies in 2017, and with reason. Many of us already know the homoerotic art made by Tom of Finland - art which has made its way to textile and even post stamps. This film directed by Dome Karukoski introduces us to the man behind the stage name - Touko Laaksonen.

The story is both touching and really empowering. It has heart wrenching drama, but it's also a message of hope, which is something we need right now, considering how scary the world feels right now. But it was certain from the beginning that this movie will make people feel all kind of things. People will be furious about it, mostly because people already feel that way about the art. Some people are not into anything that's so blatantly homoerotic. But as Dome Karukoski said today, it's a loud minority that's against this movie and everything it stands for, not a majority.

One of the most important things about the film is how Touko Laaksonen wasn't flattened, which worse director and writer(s) could've easily done. Of course this is affected by the fact that the events of the film take place during several decades, so there's no reason for Laaksonen be the same all through the movie. But I'm mainly talking about Laaksonen was introduced to us as a both sensitive typical artist and as a gay icon. If they would've tried to leave out the homoerotic art, it would've erased a big part of Laaksonen's identity. On the other hand if they had only focused on the gay icon side of him, the character could've easily become flat. And isn't it quite impossible to even take these two parts of Laaksonen completely apart from each other, since they aren't really that separate?

It's also amazing to witness how Laaksonen is affected by where he is and who he is with. In the middle of mostly straight people he has to hide parts of himself, and his Tom of Finland side isn't as visible. But in California, among the gay community, he can openly be who he is. I'm sure many closeted non-straight people can identify with this.

We all know our modern world isn't completely equal yet. Still it's horrible to see how much worse the hatred towards gay people was when Touko Laaksonen was younger. But comparing that to now, it gives us a little sparkle of hope, that maybe we are going in the right direction. And Tom of Finland movie is coming out (by coincidence, as Karkukoski stated) at the perfect time, and I'm not just talking about the Finland's 100th year as an independent country, but these few weeks. As of first of March, same sex marriage is legal in Finland. So this movie clearly couldn't have come at a better time.

Tom of Finland is a wonderful, touching movie about an artist who is so very important to the gay community. It's a touching biography, and everyone who can should watch it

I am not a big fan of domestic movies. I have been disappointed in too many times. Therefore Tom of Finland was a great surprise. Set is good, text works and it feels quite international movie. It is not a five star movie, but good enough still. The biggest problem of it is that it has made to all audience. I don't mean that they should show all the art of Tom's, but I mean the way they handle homosexuality back in 50's to 80's. The fact is, that homosexuality was a crime many decades after second world war and I am sure, that life hasn't been as easy as they show in the movie.

Movie is also way too slow at the beginning and when they finally start to tell Tom's popularity the pass it too quick and easy in the movie. Also the era of AIDS and eighties is told too easy and quickly. As a domestic movie Tom of Finland is solid movie. It is not a masterpiece but one of the best domestic movies I have seen.