The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki
| The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Juho Kuosmanen |
| Produced by | Jussi Rantamäki |
| Written by |
Juho Kuosmanen Mikko Myllylahti |
| Starring |
Jarkko Lahti Oona Airola Eero Milonoff |
| Cinematography | Jani-Petteri Passi |
| Edited by | Jussi Rautaniemi |
| Distributed by | B-Plan Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country |
Finland Germany Sweden |
| Language | Finnish, English |
| Box office | $360,863[1] |
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (Finnish: Hymyilevä mies) is a 2016 Finnish drama film directed by Juho Kuosmanen. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival[2][3] where it won the Prize Un Certain Regard.[4] It was selected as the Finnish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.[5]
Plot
The film tells the real-life story of Olli Mäki, a Finnish boxer preparing for the featherweight championship title match against titleholder Davey Moore in 1962. When Olli falls in love with Raija he loses interest in training for the match.[6]
Cast
- Jarkko Lahti as Olli Mäki
- Oona Airola as Raija Mäki
- Eero Milonoff as Eelis Ask
- John Bosco Jr. as Davey Moore
Production
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki was the feature-length debut of director Juho Kuosmanen, who had previously directed short films as well as theatre and opera productions.
The film was shot on location, mostly in Helsinki. To achieve the 1960s look, Kuosmanen and cinematographer Jani-Petteri Passi decided to film on 16mm Kodak Tri-X black and white film stock. They felt this gave the film a vintage look even though the film stock was not meant for feature films. The production team ended up ordering all the stock available in Europe and the United States after which Kodak had to produce more.[7]
Critical reception
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. It currently rates a full 100% at Rotten Tomatoes[8] and 91 at Metacritic which classifies the film's reception as "universal acclaim" according to the website's criteria.[9] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a small marvel of impeccable craftsmanship", lauding its black and white cinematography and "faultless and unshowy" performances.[6] Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent said Olli Mäki "rethinks and revatilises" the genre of boxing movies and also found it one of the year's most likeable films.[10] Both Macnab and Kristopher Tapley of Variety called the film a leading contender for the foreign language Oscar.[10][11]
Awards
The film has won several awards at film festivals:
- Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival[4]
- Golden Eye, Zurich Film Festival[12]
- Gold Hugo, New Directors Competition, Chicago International Film Festival[13]
See also
- List of submissions to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Finnish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- ↑ "The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ↑ "2016 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup". IndieWire. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ↑ "Cannes 2016: Film Festival Unveils Official Selection Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- 1 2 Rebecca Ford and Rhonda Richford (21 May 2016). "Cannes: 'The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki' Wins Un Certain Regard Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- ↑ Holdsworth, Nick (5 September 2016). "Oscars: Finland Selects 'The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- 1 2 Rooney, David (20 May 2016). "'The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki' ('Hymyileva mies'): Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (16 November 2016). "'Olli Maki' Cinematographer Approached Project as a Love Story, Not Boxing Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ↑ "The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (Hymyilevä mies)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ↑ "The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- 1 2 Macnab, Geoffrey (19 October 2016). "The Happiest Day In The Life Of Olli Mäki rethinks and revitalises the boxing movie genre". The Independent. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ↑ Tapley, Kristopher. "The Contenders: Best Foreign Language Film". Variety. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ↑ Mitchell, Wendy (2 October 2016). "'Olli Maki' wins Golden Eye at Zurich Film Festival". Screen Daily. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ↑ Phillips, Michael (22 October 2016). "Rule, Romania: 'Sieranevada,' 'Graduation' win big at Chicago Film Fest". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 October 2016.