Maria Heiskanen Movies
Finnish actress Maria Heiskanen first gained attention on the international film circuit in 2006, with her contribution to Aki Kaurismäki's tragicomedy Lights in the Dusk. In that film, Heiskanen plays Aila, a sausage vendor and quasi-girlfriend for the movie's hero, whom he roundly and unceremoniously abandons in favor of a manipulative gangster's moll. The following year, Heiskanen joined the cast of Aleksi Salmenperä's sensitive character study A Man's Job (Miehen Työ) as the clinically depressed wife of a man who signs on to work for an escort service. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
In a series of remarkable events inspired by a true story, Maria Heiskanen stars as Maria Larsson, a Finnish mother and housewife who devotes all of her attention, care, and consideration to the well-being of her family -- but, like many homemakers, does so at the expense of her own identity and self-awareness. Not that her dockworker husband, Sigge (Mikael Persbrandt), particularly deserves such consideration; a brutish, alcoholic lout, his evenings consist of making life hell for Maria and their daughter with tyrannical, abusive behavior. Then, as the dockworkers go on strike and the family's economic situation plummets, a ray of hope appears, in the form of a Contessa camera won in a local lottery. Unsurprisingly, Maria at first attempts to pawn it to reel in extra monies, but store owner Sebastian Pedersen convinces her otherwise; he teaches her how to use it, and she begins taking gorgeous, haunting photographs with the unaffected, instinctive perceptions of a young child. As the woman's self-discovery builds and her identity takes on form and definition, Sebastian unofficially takes her on as a protégée and quietly witnesses romantic feelings for her building inside of him. Meanwhile, Sigge's life falls to pieces when the authorities connect him with the catastrophic explosion of a British vessel. Maria's daughter, Maja (Callin Öhrvall), narrates. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Heiskanen, Mikael Persbrandt, (more)
- 2007
A former stone worker in search of employment takes a most unanticipated career turn in director Aleksi Salmenpera's thoughtful character study. Juha (Tommi Korpela) is out of a job, but he's trying to keep his unemployed status a secret from his clinically depressed wife Katja (Maria Heiskanen). Having failed to earn a paycheck for two months, Juha begins posting flyers around town in search of odd jobs. In order to ensure that his wife won't find out Juha lists his best friend Olli (Jani Volanen)'s telephone number on the flyers. It's not long before a woman calls seeking a man's help with some structural work, and eager Juha jumps at the chance to earn some extra cash. One at the woman's home, however, things quickly take a strange turn as the woman asks Juha to strip naked and brush her hair. Later, after returning to the woman's house for a more intimate session, the quick-thinking entrepreneur hires Olli as his contact man and launches a profitable escort business catering to lonely, middle-aged women. When his wife telephones his former employer and discovers he was laid off and his daughter subsequently makes a surprising find in dad's briefcase, Juha is finally forced to tell the truth about his new occupation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommi Korpela, Maria Heiskanen, (more)
A lonely night watchman finds love but comes to regret it in this offbeat comedy from Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki. Koistinen (Janne Hyytiainen) works as a security guard at a shopping mall in Helsinki, where he keeps an eye on the place after hours. Koistinen is a quiet nebbish who doesn't have much luck with women, and the closest thing he has to a girlfriend is Aila (Maria Heiskanen), a woman who runs a sausage cart Koistinen frequents after work, though he doesn't realize she carries a torch for him. Koistinen is killing time in a shabby café when he meets Mirja (Maria Jarvenhelmi), a beautiful blonde who appears to be interested in him. Koistinen is immediately smitten and is willing to marry her even before they have their first date, but what he doesn't know is Mirja's interest in him is not sincere -- she's working with Lindholm (Ilkka Koivula), a career criminal who has hired her to get some security codes from Koistinen so they can stage a heist at the mall where he works. However, even after Koiskinen is betrayed by Mirja and becomes the leading suspect in the robbery, he still loves her and can't bring himself to tell the police what he's learned about her. Laitakaupungin Valot (aka Lights In The Dusk) received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janne Hyytiäinen, Ilkka Koivula, (more)
