Matti (2006)

Director:

Aleksi Mäkelä

Writer:

Marko Leino (writer)

Release Date:

13 January 2006 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Finland | Ski Jumping | Alcohol | Domestic Violence

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jasper Pääkkönen	...	Matti
Elina Hietala	...	Taina
Juha Veijonen	...	Maisteri
Peter Franzén	...	Nick Nevada
Elina Knihtilä	...	Mirva
Kari Hietalahti	...	Hammer
Jope Ruonansuu	...	Oksanen
Jani Volanen	...	Nipa
Jussi Lampi	...	Jorma Tapio
Toni Wahlström	...	Ylianttila
Matias Hangasmaa	...	Antti
Seppo Pääkkönen	...	Matin isä
Maija Junno	...	Matin äiti
Matti Onnismaa	...	Salmela
Jarmo Perälä	...	Mauri
Andreas af Enehjelm	...	Puikkonen
Teemu Aromaa	...	Kojonkoski
Pekka Laiho	...	Kaupunginjohtaja
Turkka Mastomäki	...	Urheilulääkäri
Pekka Huotari	...	Hiihtoliiton lääkäri
Pekka Autiovuori	...	Urheilumuseon johtaja
Heikki Nousiainen	...	Hiihtoliiton puheenjohtaja
Juho Milonoff	...	Pertsa
Sara Melleri	...	Kati
Marko Tiusanen	...	Pastori
Jan Nyqvist	...	Jarppa (as Jan Nyquist)
Mika Nuojua	...	Niiranen
Tero Jartti	...	Rehtori
Anu Sinisalo	...	Naistenlehden toimittaja
Santeri Kinnunen	...	Toimittaja lentokentällä
Niko Saarela	...	Baarimikko / Jens Weissflog
Pauliina Hukkanen	...	Lentoemäntä
Salla Paajanen	...	Talk Show-emäntä
Ile Vainio	...	Levy-yhtiön pomo
Pekka Karhuvaara	...	Talk show-isäntä
Simo Rantalainen	...	Rantalainen
Petteri Ahomaa	...	Urheiluruudun toimittaja
Hannu-Pekka Hänninen	...	Urheiluselostaja
Miisa Hangasmaa	...	Antin äiti
Niki Lahtiperä	...	Matti lapsena
Simo Ruuskanen	...	Radiotoimittaja
Lotta Lindroos	...	Melinda (voice)
Torsti Spoof	...	Pertsan kaveri
Olli Paakkanen	...	Ambulanssimies
Anu Kiiveri	...	Gogo-tyttö
Mari Kasvi	...	Gogo-tyttö
Markus Selin	...	Stagemanager
Olli Halonen	...	Mäkihyppääjä
Mikko Niemistö	...	Mäkihyppääjä
Juha Heimonen	...	Mäkihyppääjä
Ida Henriksson	...	Saksalaistyttö
Enni Tuovinen	...	Saksalaistyttö
Matti Taponen	...	Hiihtoliiton hallituksen jäsen
Harri Väreluoto	...	Hiihtoliiton hallituksen jäsen
Pekka Honkanen	...	Hiihtoliiton hallituksen jäsen
Jarmo Koivu	...	Hiihtoliiton hallituksen jäsen
Rampe Toivonen	...	Hiihtoliiton hallituksen jäsen
Juha Salmen	...	Hiihtojoukkueen huoltaja
Vilho Udd	...	Hiihtojoukkueen huoltaja
Seppo Koivula	...	Poliisi olohuoneessa
Esko Mäkelä	...	Poliisi olohuoneessa
Kirsi Uskali	...	Kaupunginjohtajan vaimo
Petri Lönnqvist	...	Bussikuski
Marko Jokinen	...	Bestman
Juha Pursiainen	...	Jyry
Tuomo Hintikka	...	Mies - joka heittää Jyryn ulos
Teemu Heino	...	Poliisi urheiluopistolla
Marko Grek	...	Poliisi urheiluopistolla
Pentti Loikkanen	...	Vanginvartija
Pekka Ylitarvas	...	Poliisi putkassa
Heikki Tallinen	...	Oksasen ovimies
Niko Koskinen	...	Oksasen ovimies
Jukka Jalkanen	...	Hotellin turvamies
Kari Hakala	...	Hotellin turvamies
Minna Hänninen	...	Juorulehden toimittaja
Harri Blomqvist	...	Valokuvaaja
Lauri Sahlstedt	...	Jorma Tapion taksikuski
Markku Haukijärvi	...	Mäkimonttuhaastattelija
Pekka Valkeisenmäki	...	Urheiluruudun kameramies
Jorma Sairanen	...	Matin asianajaja
Janne Miettinen	...	Naistenlehden kuvaaja
Ilkka Lehto	...	Ruotsalainen mäkimies
Julius Telivuo	...	Ruotsalainen mäkimies
Maija Kurki	...	Tyttö keikkabussissa
Silja Liikanen	...	Tyttö keikkabussissa
Meiju Granholm	...	Tyttö keikkamestalla
Katja Kettunen	...	Tyttö keikkamestalla
Pia Tapanainen	...	Tyttö keikkamestalla
Svetlana Iivonen	...	Eroottinen tanssija
Teemu Aaltonen	...	Ovimies
Juha Fransas	...	Mirvan asianajaja
Petri Salonen	...	Matin asianajaja
Heini Harjaluoma	...	Tissibaarin tyttö
Johanna Laitinen	...	Tissibaarin tyttö
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harri Lajunen	...	Extra
Katriina Nuottimäki	...	Fani konsertissa (uncredited)

Directed by
Aleksi Mäkelä

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marko Leino		writer

Produced by
Jukka Helle	....	executive producer
Jukka Kujala	....	post-production producer
Jussi Lepistö	....	marketing producer
Markus Selin	....	producer

Original Music by
Kustaa Kantelinen		(co-composer)
Tuomas Kantelinen

Cinematography by
Pini Hellstedt

Film Editing by
Kimmo Taavila

Casting by
Tutsa Paananen		(as Tutsa Virtanen)
Pia Pesonen

Costume Design by
Tiina Kaukanen

Makeup Department
Zoe Burtsow	....	wig maker (as Zoe Burtzow)
Juhana Hellamaa	....	hair stylist (as Juhana Hellanmaa)
Tiia Jokivalli	....	hair stylist
Jani Räisänen	....	hair stylist
Muru Ritala	....	assistant makeup artist
Mari Vaalasranta	....	makeup artist
Riikka Virtanen	....	wig maker

Production Management
Sirkka Rautiainen	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Saara Kankaanpää	....	second assistant director
Jouni Mutanen	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Maisu Anttonen	....	painter (as Maisu Valo)
Jussi Halonen	....	set designer
Simo Koivuniemi	....	set builder
Markku Laukkonen	....	set builder
Vilma Levonmaa	....	property master: second unit (as Wilma Levonmaa)
Antti Määttänen	....	assistant property master
Jussi Maula	....	poster designer
Petri Neuvonen	....	set designer
Ari Nieminen	....	set builder
Esa Paajamaa	....	set builder
Anssi Pennanen	....	props
Sirkka Rautiainen	....	property master: second unit
Kimi Seppänen	....	property master
Simo Sulva	....	set builder
Heli Suono	....	props trainee
Antti Tuunanen	....	carpenter
Juha Yrttimaa	....	set builder

Sound Department
Jukka Åkerman	....	sound assistant
Svante Forsbäck	....	dialogue mastering (as Svante Torsbäck)
Heikki Kossi	....	foley artist
Mika Niinimaa	....	foley effects
Olli Pärnänen	....	sound mixer
Jyrki Rahkonen	....	sound recordist
Jyrki Rahkonen	....	sound
Sami Sarhamaa	....	sound editor
Santtu Sierilä	....	boom operator (as Santtu Sierillä)
Ilkka Väisänen	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Antti Hämäläinen	....	digital artist
Tuomo Hintikka	....	digital artist
Tuomo Hintikka	....	visual effects supervisor
Panu Kujala	....	digital artist
Petteri Linnus	....	digital artist
Petteri Linnus	....	online editor
Mika Rantala	....	digital artist
Juuso Selin	....	digital artist
Marko Terävä	....	color grader
Tommi Tissari	....	digital artist

Stunts
Eero Mäkipää	....	stunts
Esa Muittari	....	stunts
Kari Pesonen	....	stunts
Juha Pursiainen	....	stunt coordinator
Veijo Stranden	....	stunts
Anssi Tawast	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Jan Granström	....	first assistant camera
Sanna Hedström	....	still photographer
Lina Kamb	....	video assistant
Petri Kiljunen	....	second assistant camera
Kosti Lehikoinen	....	grip assistant
Jani Lehtinen	....	gaffer
Sami Mäntymaa	....	lighting technician
Harri Naarajärvi	....	key grip
Tapio Paananen	....	video assistant
Kalle Penttilä	....	best boy
Riku Roimu	....	lighting technician
Konsta Sohlberg	....	cinematographer: second unit
Konsta Sohlberg	....	lighting technician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sanna Hannuksela	....	assistant costume designer
Kata Launonen	....	assistant costume designer
Kata Launonen	....	costumer assistant

Editorial Department
Marko Seppä	....	assistant editor
Sarri Seppä	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Alexandr Dmitriev	....	conductor
Roosa Toivonen	....	assistant to composer

Other crew
Pasi Ahonen	....	ski jumper
Stephen Chaloff	....	chef
Tommi Gröhn	....	film printing
Sanna Hannuksela	....	catering
Sanna Hedström	....	script supervisor
Tommi Huoponen	....	catering
Emppu Karhu	....	ski jumper
Jarmo Karhu	....	ski jumper coach
Janne Kokkonen	....	chef
Mikael Kuhlberg	....	ski jumper
Timo Kuhlberg	....	ski jumper coach
Akseli Lajunen	....	ski jumper
Vilma Levonmaa	....	runner (as Wilma Levonmaa)
Eero Mäkipää	....	ski jumper
Pertti Matilainen	....	helicopter pilot
Taru Meriläinen	....	catering
Olli Nieminen	....	ski jumper
Janne Nordman	....	ski jumper
Kari Pesonen	....	ski jumper
Juha Pursiainen	....	assistant to director
Petri Rönkä	....	stand-in
Saku Salminen	....	ski jumper
Kimi Seppänen	....	location manager
Veijo Stranden	....	ski jumper
Saija Tiitinen	....	production secretary
Rampe Toivonen	....	chief publicist
Ville Vaaranmaa	....	ski jumper
Kirsi Willberg	....	financial assistant

Production Companies

• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (co-production)
• Solar Films

Distributors

• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2006) (Finland) (VHS)
• Buena Vista International Finland (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (200?) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Generator Post  post-production facilities
• Kalevala Studio Oy  sound post-production
• Kalevala Ääni  sound post-production
• Meguru Film Sound  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Matti (Finland: Swedish title)
Matti - elämä on ihmisen parasta aikaa (Finland) (promotional title)
Matti Nykänen (Finland) (working title)
Matti: Hell Is for Heroes (International: English title)

Runtime:

135 min | 130 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 (re-rating) | Finland:K-15 (original rating) | Sweden:11 | Norway:11

Filming Locations:

Hanko, Finland

Company:

Mainostelevisio (MTV3)

Trivia:

Based on the life of Matti Nykänen with also fiction scenes.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Matti is entering his gold medal party in City Hall of Jyvaskyla, visible in the background is a bridge over lake Jyvasjarvi. This bridge was built much later.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Se on Matti - dokumentti elokuvan teosta (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Pidä varas

Biography of a wife beater and an alcoholic = Finnish hero.

For those of you who are not familiar with the titular "hero", Matti Nykänen, he is this Finnish Olympic gold-medalist, who was a folk hero back in the 80's, 'cause he brought ski-jumping medals by the boat loads. Here's where it gets tricky. Today he's nothing. He's a bottom feeder, who does anything to stay in the headlines. And even that seems like an understatement. How's that, one might ask. Well, since his professional career ended, he has started a ridiculous singing career (he can sell a few albums, but people buy them and show up to his gigs purely out of humor), he's been a stripper (!), he's been to prison, he has found God and he has married a woman he beats up every once in a while. What's not to like? Plus, he's clearly a retard.

Matti, the movie about him, tries to sell his story to the viewer as he would be the victim in all of this. Which is of course total BS. A lot of the stupid things he's done and God forbid *is still doing*, have come from people daring him. For heaven's sake, HOW HARD IS IT TO JUST SAY "NO"?! And stupid things like jumping off a bridge, or something. Plus when you rarely see him doing an interview his eyes are wondering everywhere and he makes statements like you wouldn't believe.. he's like The Waterboy, but with half the IQ.

This is a naive film with some good performances, but even those can't hide the fact that this film's been made with the intention of ripping the ticket fare from the Finnish audience, who are there just to see the joke that this man is. Not the sensitive side, because with he's real actions this far gone, no-one's buying that he even has one.

** / *****