Miehen työ (2007)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Aleksi Salmenperä

Writer:

Aleksi Salmenperä (written by)

Release Date:

23 February 2007 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Striptease Male | Bathtub Scene | Loss Of Job | Head Wound

Awards:

6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Tommi Korpela	...	Juha
Maria Heiskanen	...	Katja
Jani Volanen	...	Olli
Stan Saanila	...	Jamppa
Konsta Pylkkönen	...	Akseli
Noora Dadu	...	Nuori nainen 1
Joanna Haartti	...	Nuori nainen 2
Kaarina Hazard	...	Asiakas / lääkäri 1
Vilma Juutilainen	...	Oona
Helmi Kaartinen	...	Ida
Arttu Kapulainen	...	Nuori taksikuski
Leea Klemola	...	Katrin assistentti
Jukka Kärkkäinen	...	Mikael
Sue Lemström	...	Leena
Pirjo Lonka	...	Anna
Lari Maliranta	...	Okko
Minttu Mustakallio	...	Polttarisankari
Maiju Nissinen	...	Jonsku
Sara Paavolainen	...	Ritva
Eero Saarinen	...	Lääkäri 2
Eeva Semerdijev	...	Nuori nainen 3
Minna Suuronen	...	Kirsti
Tarja-Tuulikki Tarsala	...	Matkatoimiston virkailija
Inka Timgren	...	Katri
Tiina Weckström	...	Merja

Directed by
Aleksi Salmenperä

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Aleksi Salmenperä		written by

Produced by
Petri Jokiranta	....	producer
Tero Kaukomaa	....	producer

Original Music by
Ville Tanttu		(as Ville A. Tanttu)

Cinematography by
Tuomo Hutri

Film Editing by
Samu Heikkilä

Costume Design by
Ella Brigatti

Makeup Department
Juhana Hellamaa	....	hair dye
Juhana Hellamaa	....	haircutter
Hannele Herttua	....	hair stylist
Hannele Herttua	....	makeup designer
Laura Rantaniemi	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Katriina Tuliainen	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tarja Jakunaho	....	assistant director
Elina Lindroos	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Timo Hyppönen	....	graphic artist
Mika Ihanus	....	swing gang
Leena Kuvaja	....	painter
Mikko Murtomaa	....	assistant set designer
Jenny Nissinen	....	painter
Markku Pätilä	....	set designer
Jani Pensola	....	swing gang
Sameli Pihlaja	....	assistant property master
Annika Salonen	....	set dresser
Jyri Savolainen	....	assistant set designer
Sami Silvennoinen	....	set building
Jani Sinisalo	....	swing gang
Simo Sulva	....	construction coordinator
Lauri Vänskä	....	property master

Sound Department
Pekka Karjalainen	....	sound mixer
Tuomas Klaavo	....	sound designer
Tuomas Klaavo	....	sound recordist
Mikko Mäkelä	....	sound designer
Mikko Mäkelä	....	sound recordist
Miia Nevalainen	....	foley artist
Panu Riikonen	....	foley artist
Pertti Venetjoki	....	boomman assistant

Visual Effects by
Anna Konttinen	....	post-production producer
Ville-Matti Vasama	....	visual effects
Martti Ylöstalo	....	post-production producer
Antti Peltoranta	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Jouni Kivimäki	....	stunts
Reijo Kontio	....	stunt coordinator
Vesa Laakso	....	stunts
Enar Tarmo	....	stunts
H.-P. Virkki	....	stunts (as Harri-Pekka Virkki)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jani Häkli	....	loader
Malla Hukkanen	....	still photographer
Torsti Hyvönen	....	best boy
Aki Karppinen	....	gaffer
Vladimir Krestjanoff	....	lighting technician
Tommi Lind	....	lighting technician
Antti Ruusuvuori	....	first assistant camera
Kristiina Salmén	....	video assistant
Karri Takala	....	grip
Antti Takkunen	....	lighting technician
Tiina Tolonen	....	grip assistant
Timo Ylifrantti	....	lighting technician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Johanna Arhipoff	....	costume aging
Maija Arminen	....	costumer trainee
Anna Savolainen	....	costumer trainee
Tiina Tuomala	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Pentti Keskimäki	....	colorist
Tuija Kotamäki	....	negative cutter
Kari Manns	....	colorist
Tomi Nieminen	....	on-line editor
Antti Peltoranta	....	on-line editor
Anita Rautalin	....	negative cutter
Suvi Valkonen	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jukka Puurula	....	music mixer
Jukka Puurula	....	music recordist
Ville Tanttu	....	music mixer (as Ville A. Tanttu)
Ville Tanttu	....	music recordist (as Ville A. Tanttu)

Transportation Department
Risto Hämäri	....	driver: location bus
Jouni Kortesato	....	driver: trailer
Martti Lehelä	....	production vehicles provider
Harri Nieminen	....	driver: location bus

Other crew
Juha Hämynen	....	insurance
Susan Heiskanen	....	translator
Malla Hukkanen	....	script supervisor
Olga Koiverianine	....	office secretary
Mika Kongas	....	film printing
Reijo Kontio	....	security coordinator
Jyri Kukkonen	....	legal services
Mikko Laine	....	runner
Jonni Leporanta	....	auditor
Veli-Matti Mäkolä	....	production accountant (as Veli-Matti Mäkelä)
Pia Naarajärvi	....	legal services
Timo Puolitaipale	....	translator
Joakim Rehn	....	auditor
Merja Ritola	....	production secretary
Jyri Savolainen	....	caterer
Aino Suni	....	caterer

Production Companies

• Blind Spot Pictures Oy
• Finnish Film Foundation (funding)
• Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond (funding)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (co-production)

Distributors

• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2007) (Finland) (all media)
• Seven Films (2007) (Greece) (all media)

Other Companies

• Digital Film Finland Oy  post-production
• Elokuvamuonitus Nakki  catering
• Entertainment Law Finland  legal services
• Finnlab  post-production facilities
• Helsinging Tilikeskus Oy  accounting
• Karillo Studio  music studio
• Meguru Film Sound  sound post-production
• MetaLaw  legal services
• Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond  funding
• Pohjola  insurance
• Revico Grant Thornton  auditing
• Scandia Rent  production vehicles
• Silver Zombie Oy  set building
• Suomen Elokuvasäätiö  funding

Also Known As:

A Man's Work (International: English title)
Man's Job (USA) (new title)
Douleia gia antres (Greece) [el]
Ett mansjobb (Sweden) [sv]
Férfimunka (Hungary) [hu]
Mehe töö (Estonia) [et]
Un lavoro da uomo (Italy) [it]
Un travail d'homme (France) [fr]

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Finland

Company:

Blind Spot Pictures Oy

Trivia:

Finland's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Soundtrack:

Lost Weekend ( Lah Hee! )

Tough job, but someone's got to do it.

Juha (Tommi Korpela) is the middle-aged father of two and the husband of a depressed wife. Too afraid to tell his depressed wife that he has lost his job as a construction worker, Juha tries to make a living by offering his services to private customers, with little success. When he's contacted by a slightly older woman who turns out to want more than just the reconstruction of her living room, Juha secretly joins the sex industry in to be able to support his family. This provides the setting for a story about the responsibilities of a family man and shame.

Movies about the sex industry tend to fall into four main categories. There are moralistic tales about the depravity and dangers of the industry, exploitative movies that use the theme as an easy excuse for excessive nudity, light-hearted comedies about the liberation and empowerment through open sexuality, and realistic stories about the cruel and abusive nature of prostitution. Strangely enough, Miehen Työ doesn't really fit into any of these categories. On the contrary of what one might think after reading the summary, it's a remarkably un-erotic film. The theme of male prostitution isn't the focus of the film, but a mere extension to the net of lies Juha spins when he tries to hide his family the fact that he's unemployed. This story isn't about sex - it's about humiliation and shame that stems from Juha's failure to do what he believes is expected of him. What's a man to do when he can't even do his duty? Ultimately, the movie becomes a study of the roles of a man - or the job of a man, as the title puts it. Is it really more important for a good husband and a father to keep the money coming than to actually be there for his family when they need him the most?

Overall, Miehen Työ is a bleak, bleak movie about the harsh reality of everyday life. It isn't light-hearted entertainment, but I personally enjoyed it. Tommi Korpela is fantastic in the lead role, portraying the everyman who paradoxically degrades himself to preserve his pride. I also liked Jani Volanen as Juha's troubled best friend Olli, who discreetly tries to replace Juha by spending time with his family when Juha himself is gone.