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THE GOOD SON

by Zaida Bergroth

synopsis

At the age of seventeen, Ilmari has already spent much of his life administering to the needs of his mother, the mercurial Leila. A veteran actress famous enough to be constant tabloid fodder, Leila’s desperate desire to be the centre of attention has only been exacerbated by her professional success. Ilmari’s daily duties include looking after his younger brother, mixing drinks for Leila’s friends and, most importantly, comforting Leila when she’s distressed — a common occurrence. Ilmari has become accustomed to an overwhelming level of responsibility, having chased off a number of his mother’s less acceptable suitors. Leila’s neglect has filled him with a rage he now considers normal. Following a very public squabble with the director of her most recent movie, Leila has promised the boys a relaxing weekend, just the three of them, during which they can quietly enjoy each other’s company in the countryside. But it doesn’t take long before Leila inevitably tires of — as she puts it within earshot of Ilmari — “being alone” way out in the middle of nowhere. Soon enough, her friends arrive — one of them so wasted he passes out on the lawn. Among them is Aimo, a screenwriter with whom Leila is conspicuously taken, setting the stage for a confrontation that threatens to spin out of control.

international title: The Good Son
original title: Hyvä poika
country: Finland
sales agent: LevelK
year: 2011
genre: fiction
directed by: Zaida Bergroth
release date: FI 25/03/2011, CZ 10/05/2012
screenplay: Jan Forsström
cast: Samuli Niittymäki, Elina Knihtilä, Eero Aho, Anna Paavilainen, Eetu Julin
cinematography by: Anu Keränen
film editing: Jan Forsström
art director: Okku Rahikainen, Tytti Tiri
music: Mi and L'au
producer: Mark Lwoff, Misha Jaari, Elli Toivoniemi
production: Oy Bufo Ab
distributor: Buena Vista International Finland, Film Europe, Film Europe s.r.o.

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