The Winter War

Author(s): Ryne

Location: Portland


"The Winter War"
Directed by Paul Haggis

Written by Eric Roth

Main Cast
Naomi Watts as Anya Kussi-Impinen

AnnaSophia Robb as Maria Impinen

Paul Bettany as Hannu Kussi

Ben Foster as Mikael Elomo

Tagline: "As Invasion Looked Them in the Eyes, They Stood Strong"

Synopsis: With Soviet expansion looming on the Finland-Soviet Union border in 1939, the Finnish government, outnumbered 4:1, sees war on the horizon. The military base of Viipuri, which lays on the Isthmus front toward the south of Finland, is a key stronghold if the Finnish state is to withhold Soviet influence. Anya Kussi-Impinen (Watts) runs a small flower shops right outside Viipuri’s wealthy district. Many of Finland’s most powerful generals live in this district. Anya constantly overhears conversations on defense tactics while walking passed military personal on her way home. On top of running the flower shop, Anya is the widowed mother of her only daughter, Maria (Robb), and the caretaker of her mentally handicapped brother, Hannu (Bettany). Ever since her husband’s death, Anya’s relationship with Maria has been less than spectacular. Maria persistently rebukes her mother’s orders, stating that her father would let her do whatever she wanted to. Hannu requires attention around the clock. Anya knows Hannu should be put into a home where he would get the attention he needed, but she cannot bring herself to do it. Her best friend Mikael (Foster) is a serving member of the utti jaegar, Finland’s special forces. As the Finnish army mobilizes, the utti jaegar, including Mikael, are called to launch a preemptive reconnaissance mission. The information obtained shows the Soviets are almost completely active and invasion is closer than expected. Viipuri’s wandering ears catch wind of this news and the civilian districts go into a state of panic. The Soviet army enters Finland the next day on November 30. For the next three months, the stories of the Kussi-Impinen family intertwine with Mikael’s military duty and the Finnish fight to protect Viipuri against Soviet influence.

What the Press would say:
One of the most anticipated movies of the year begs for awards consideration. After a spectacular trailer release back in September, hopes were high for “The Winter War.” With many trailers misleading their audience, I am pleased to say that it does not disappoint. Paul Haggis’ “The Winter War” is the superb first part in his sure to be epic trilogy. Eric Roth’s dialogue is crisp, gripping, and, most of all, clever. It doesn’t insult the audience’s intelligence by providing pointless facts about World War Two. The script allows the viewer to put together the pieces that might be missing. Paul Haggis’ direction is some of the best of the year. He steps outside his comport zone to direct a small, intimate cast that benefits the movie as a whole. Naomi Watts, by far, gives her best performance to date. With the fate of the entire movie resting on her shoulders, Ms. Watts defiantly rises to the occasion. As a widowed mother and the caretaker of her handicapped brother, Anya is, surprisingly, one of the strongest female characters ever. Watts depicts Anya subtly strong nature perfectly. Her chemistry with Maria, played to perfection by AnnaSophia Robb, is amazing. Robb gives one of the best young performances of all-time. She conveys Maria’s troubled disposition unbelievably well. Maria physically pushes her mother away but inside yearns for her help. The scene after Hannu’s death where Maria emotionally tells Anya how much she truly loves her is the best acting scene in the whole movie. Both Watts’ and Robb’s acting skills are utilized flawlessly in this scene. This scene alone is enough to garnish serious awards consideration for Robb. Paul Bettany and Ben Foster give solid performances that help keep “The Winter War” afloat. Bettany easily could have over acted his role, but he decides to give a more conservative performance. All in all, “The Winter War” is a terrific start to Paul Haggis’ epic trilogy.

FYC:

Best Picture

Best Director (Paul Haggis)

Best Actress (Naomi Watts)

Best Supporting Actress (AnnaSophia Robb)

Best Original Screenplay (Eric Roth)