Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)

RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE  (2010)  
    D: Jalmari Helander                                     ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2

    Onni Tommila, Tommi Korpela,

    Rauno Juvonen, Ilmari Järvenpää

There's the frozen north and there's the frozen north, and then there's Lapland in the north of Finland, which is about as north and as frozen as you'd ever want to get. That's where this strange story takes place. It starts out with some sort of research excavation into a desolate, snow-covered mountain, which leads to the discovery of the world's most imposing grave, the final resting place of Santa Claus. Apparently, this Claus wasn't the jolly old elf you know from Clement Moore, but a storybook demon, and while you never get a clear look at Santa himself, you do get a couple hundred old elves running around, and they're scary enough, stealing the local children and making a real mess of the local reindeer herd. It's the strangest, darkest, least cute-and-cozy Santa Claus movie ever, and if you're in the mood for it, one of the funniest. Another odd thing: There are no female characters at all. Not one. It's like this twisted, frozen universe where all you've got are men and boys and ice and snow and elves and reindeer and the cold mountain grave of Santa Claus. And gingerbread. Don't go into this movie without some gingerbread.