Sisu

We've seen many films about those that have been trained to kill, either as soldiers, mercenaries, delta force soldiers, etc. "John Wick Chapter 4" is still in the theaters, and the studio that brought you that film, Lionsgate, has now brought us "Sisu", about yet another mercenary bent on righting incredible wrongs.

Finland, 1944. During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector, Aatami (Jorma Tommila) crosses paths with Nazis, including Bruno (Aksel Hennie) and Wolf (Jack Doolan), on a scorched-earth retreat in Northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his newfound gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word "sisu", this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Nazis throw at him, the one-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back--even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path. 

Others to round out the cast are Mimosa Willamo as Aino, Onni Tommila as Schutze, Tatu Sinisalo as SS Soldier, Wilhelm Enckell as SS Soldier, Vincent Willestrand as SS Soldier, Artu Kapulainen as Rower, Elina Saarela as Saara, Ilkka Kolvula as Fighter Pilot and Max Ovaska as Engineer. 

This was intensely directed in such a brutal way by Jalmari Helander ("Zero deux" (segment- "Rare Exports Inc") '07, "Rare Exports" '10, "Big Game" '14) plus TV, shorts and a video. Actually when I mentioned 'brutal', I meant so in a complimentary way. I'm not a violent person or like seeing it, however this film practically invites it considering how evil and inhumanly brutal these Nazis were, and this filmmaker represents this in spades. The way that Helander was able to show this prospector gradually showing his intense anger was probably scarier than allowing the character just blow up with anger at the drop of a hat. This is a director that knows his craft. It is also creatively well written by Helander ("Rare Exports" '10, "Big Game" '14) plus shorts and a video. Picture, if you will--an older miner is riding his horse and is stopped by Nazis in their trucks and tank. They find his gold and will steal it and just shoot him dead anyway. What is a man to do? This is the basic premise. Simple, riveting, direct, and turns out to be hellish. These Nazis had no idea who was in their midst, and because of their ignorance, they will soon find out. This was incredibly well written in that through all of the violence and direct approach, there was still many nuances of subtlety within the script. This writer doesn't have a plethora of experience, but after this, he will receive more work. The cohesiveness and tightness of script was like a double-edged sword ready to dissect. This prospector is of few words, but his action specks volumes; he makes John Wick look like a chatty Cathy. 

Certainly, if you like the John Wick series, you'll love this. It's an ex-commando whose gone rouge, and anyone who is bent on harming innocent people, he will kill them taking no prisoners. It's a great escape film replete with guns, knives, bombs, and many other creative ways to combat these Nazis that they, many times, don't see coming. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                             Rated: R                                                   91mins.