Tous les chats sont gris

The withdrawn absurdity with a sarcastic grin tells the story of an obsession that is the cause of the internal decay of withdrawn judge Mikael. His panicked fear of his children's incestuous relationship leads to an escalating sequence of absurd scenes which, under a crust of black Nordic humor, increasingly reveal a barricaded character and the seemingly bulletproof shell of his family life. The protagonists seem to move across the screen in icy carapaces, and the camera keeps the viewer at a distance with its slowness and by being static, ensuring that the sudden flashes of cynicism and absurdity stand out all the more with greater contrast. A wonderful experience leads to an inevitably disillusioning point, which only confirms that the director is lying when he claims that he knows nothing about making films. He knows enough to serve a delicate portion of Nordic family tragicomedy to the viewer with coldly raised eyebrows - the strange flight between latent cruelty and laughter in relief. [KVIFF 2010] (05/07/2010)

One of the few Finnish films I’ve come across since my return from Finland, and it only reinforced my belief that Finns are a unique bunch. Their mindset feels worlds apart from ours, and that shows not just in how they act, but in the kinds of films they make—often tackling some pretty unusual topics. That said, Bad Family definitely had something going for it. It’s got that unmistakable Nordic atmosphere, a strange but intriguing premise, and solid execution overall. (27/09/2011)