The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki

Olli Mäki isn't a knockout, but it does go the distance.

2923d ago

The story of a Finnish boxer taking on a big-shot US star on home turf is the basis for this strange and wonderful comedy.

2923d ago

The Happiest Day In the Life of Olli Mäki doesn’t succumb to the obvious issues of the biopic, but does suffer in the opposite way: it sometimes lacks that singular purpose that pushes forward so many other sports films. It finds a poetically understated ending, but the drama, especially near the end, borders on being too repetitive. Still, it’s a worthwhile showcase for excellent performances, assured direction, and a twist on the sports story that prioritizes character before history.

2923d ago

Low-key, understated, Finnish, these aren’t adjectives that normally spring to mind when discussing movies about boxing. But all of them apply to Helsinki-based director Juho Kuosmanen’s black-and-white breakout from last year’s Cannes Film Festival, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki.

2923d ago

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki deepens quietly. This is Mr. Kuosmanen’s first feature (he has directed a few shorts), and if he had any rookie jitters you wouldn’t know it.

2923d ago

It appears that the cast and crew of “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki” already knew they had a winner on their hands, even if it was only by process of elimination amongst the film teams in the room.

2923d ago

This is a sports tale in which the character building has almost nothing to do with the sport.

2923d ago

Like Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull,” this is a movie about a boxer. Like Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull,” this is a movie about a boxer that was shot in black-and-white.

2923d ago