Review of Ganes (2007) by Pia K — 10 Jan 2014

A biographical film about the legendary Finnish rock band Hurriganes and especially about its founding father Remu Aaltonen. The film focuses on the childhood and teenage years of Remu before exploring the early years of the band before it really hit on. I think it was a good choice to do it like that, because it allows us to know Remu's character better and to follow the key points in his life. And it's a decent enough story. I personally didn't know much about Remu's past before this film, and I'm not really sure how much of it was romanticized for the movie, but I liked the story I was given here. There was drama, low points and high points, there were struggles and personal victories, the whole nine yards.

Eero Milonoff does a good job as the leading man himself. He's cocky and abrasive, like a proper "rokkikukko" (rock rooster would be the direct translation) should be, but when the character has to suffer and show his vulnerability, the man has enough depth and acting skill to really pull it off. The rest of the actors are for the most part just okay, though Tommi Korpela is always a memorable performer, no matter what the role.

I'd say the music was the other highlight of the film. You can feel the energy, the vibes and the excitement of their rock and roll, their happiness to be playing in front of a live audience. When a fan walks up to Remu and claims that "they're the best live band in Finland", you get what he's talking about.

I liked this film. I wouldn't go as far as to call it great, but any fan of Hurriganes should give it a watch, because they're going to enjoy it. And I'd claim that any fan of musical biographies in general will find some good things in it.