The Woodcutter Story: the dry sense of humour in Mikko Myllylahti’s film and the naturality of the characters’ reactions to what is happening around them accentuates how surreal it all is. The film follows a woodcutter in a small Finnish town as everything in his life starts falling apart. The protagonist is a cup-half-full sort of guy and he, much like everyone, takes it all in stride; it’s quite a good performance by Jarkko Lahti. The remainder of the cast is playing it very straight and unemotionally; it’s not a common choice, but it works here. The tone matches the snowy, wintery setting; cinematographer Arsen Sarkisiants captures it all with an elegant work; production designer Milja Aho creates some interiors that fit the material. Lovely musical score by Jonas Struck.