The Cuckoo

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The Cuckoo ★★½ Kushka 2002 (PG-13)

It's not a joke but the film does have its humorous moments: a Russian, a Finn, and a Lapp are drawn together in 1944. That was the year the Nazis, who occupied Finland, pulled out, leaving behind Finns who had been pressed into service against the advancing Russians. One of these Finns is reluctant sniper Veiko (Haapasalo). The Russian is Ivan (Bychkov), wounded and found by the Lapp—young war widow Anni (Juuso)— who is caring for him in her hut. Veiko also stumbles upon the hut. None speak the other's language, which doesn't prevent a lot of conversation and misunderstandings as well as desire. In Finnish, Russian, and Sami (the Lapp language) with subtitles. 104m/C DVD . RU Willie Haapsalo, Anni-Kristina Usso, Vikter Bychkov; D: Alexander Rogozhkin; W: Alexander Rogozhkin; C: Andrei Zhegalov; M: Dmitri Pavlov.