The Cuckoo review

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A Russian, a Finn and a Laplander walk into a hut... Not the beginning of a tortuous gag, but the unlikely premise for a gentle fable set in northern Europe at the end of World War Two.

Chained to a rock by his own men, Finnish sharpshooter Veiko (Ville Haapasalo) - the "cuckoo" of the title - - eventually frees himself and seeks refuge with Lapp reindeer farmer Anni (Anni-Christina Juuso). But her lakeside retreat is also a sanctuary for wounded Soviet soldier Ivan (Viktor Bychkov), who takes an instant dislike to this "fascist" interloper.

The twist? No one speaks the same language, creating a mini Tower of Babel populated by three strangers at cross-purposes. A slight yarn, then, but one bulging with memorable scenes: Veiko's ingenious escape from his Sisyphean plight, the two men bonding in a makeshift sauna and an interlude in the afterlife that suggests director Aleksandr Rogozhkin is a big fan of The Seventh Seal. A captivating curio.

NOVERDICT

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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