Crime and Punishment: Aki Kaurismäki’s adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s classic novel is tight, as it follows a butcher who coldly kills a man and forms a relationship with a witness, as he deals with his guilt during the investigation. The downside is that his motivations and rationality can get murky sometimes, but there is some humanity in the relationship he forms with the young woman. The performances have some, but not all the impassivity the director is known for; Markku Toikka, as the protagonist, is the one who it shows the most, in line with how the character is built, and it makes for an interesting piece of acting. Aino Seppo, as the young witness, has a lovely face and projects warmth nicely. Esko Nikkari, a recurring presence in the director’s oeuvre, is a fine presence as the crime’s chief investigator. Editor Veikko Aaltonen gives the film a snappy, easy pace; the music selection is, as is often the case, excellent. Cinematographer Timo Salminen’s work is rather efficient.