Reindeerspotting: Escape from Santaland (2010)

Fresh and Exciting

Blistering performances.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

I truly did not expect this to be as good as it was.. It went on kind of slow at first, then some of the friendships seemed to just magically vanish.. really touching characters as they seemed like good people initially but due to the early addiction to opiates its always pretty much a guarantee that its going to clamp onto your soul until you be honest enough with yourself. I used to be a Junkie for 2 years and I was homeless for a small part of that. I know exactly what he was going through in so many scenarios and although this documentary ends on a seemingly light note its super sad to hear about how he hung himself shortly after this was completed and widely released. =[

This documentary evolves around a young Finn in the town of Rovaniemi and his struggles in life there. Having been to Rovaniemi myself several times, I can relate to the guy's view of pointlessness. He clearly feels there is nothing for him in Lapland, and turns to drugs as an act of escapism. This part of Finland is a very empty, and sometimes a desolate looking land, if you're a dark hearted person. Snow covers Lapland for 4 to 6 months a year, and the region around Rovaniemi is empty.So he turns to drugs. Everything from the real thing to drugs that are legal and only effective in large doses. I found this a rather interesting documentary because it sheds light on a problem one perhaps wouldn't expect to be an issue so far up north. The style of filming adds to the feel of 'being there'.The main thing you're left wondering about after the documentary finishes is what happened to the guys afterwards. The footage used in it is obviously quite old as the guys still use the old Finnish currency (markka). It keeps one wondering.

A story about real life, nothing subtle here. Really pisses me off that Finnish government banned this documentary from minors for being "drug- positive" -which it definitely isn't. Reindeerspotting is a neutral view in narcotic life and it probably should be viewed as a part of drug education of schools. I have seen a lot of acted films that just mostly leaves the audience wondering why to even try taking drugs if they are all bad. After just a few minutes of watching it when it finally came out from Finnish national television I thought it would be boring, just showing the drug addicts needling themselves, since Jani gets his fingers cut out in the beginning. But the movie doesn't even get showing off the cut-out fingers, it develops into an interesting story, almost if it was all scripted and acted which it isn't. And it really goes "behind the scenes" while first showing just a low-life junkies, but after that showing they are normal people just like the rest of us, having a dream of leaving the drug-filled life, and getting a family and a house.

Narcotics are a fairly small problem in Finland, at least when compared to most Western countries. Sill it exists, even in the more remote areas such as Rovaniemi, the capital of the Finnish part of Lapland. Reindeerspotting – titled after a movie dealing with similar issues in Scotland – focuses on a young man whose life is filled with narcotics and crime. It must have been the first time seeing drug use from such a close perspective in my home country, and it made me better realize Finland is no longer a haven far away from drug markets.Despite being shot hand-held with what seemed like an ordinary consumer video camera by one of the friends of the main character, the documentary proved to be carefully compiled from material taken several years ago. It never got boring, as several incidents occur throughout the film, some of which were a bit shocking and some quite amusing. Most of the talking (despite being sometimes mumbling because of the drugs) is fascinating and humorous, and not placed there only to fill up the running time. First I felt that Jani, the main character, was ignorant and irresponsible but as he got more familiar to the viewer, the impression changed. He never blames anyone else for his problems and has modest dreams for his future. Therefore it's sad to know he died soon after the documentary was released.I would recommend watching Reindeerspotting for anyone who won't start feeling sick from several close-ups of needle injections. I think it will give an interesting perspective to both Finns and others of a life with drugs in a different environment than the usual.