Mushrooming – putting Estonia on the filmmaking map
Mushrooming might be set in Estonia but its main character should ring some bells for British audiences. Ravio E Tamm plays Aadu, a politician caught in an expenses scandal. He plays him well, portraying a character that’s almost lazily greedy rather than out-right corrupt. Aadu is also involved in a terrible TV game-show that no politician would ever be advised to appear on, one of the oddities in a script that delights in throwing surprises at the viewer.
Whilst trying to relax Aadu takes his wife – played by Elina Reinhold – mushrooming in a forest, having picked up Zak (Juhan Ulfsak) a rockstar who is hitching at the local garage. Why a famous guitarist is trying to get a lift I’m not sure, but he’s soon in the back of Aadu’s car as they career off into the forest. The tall narrow-trunked trees provide the sparse, atmospheric background to much of the film. These are the three main characters and director Toomas Hassar builds tension well, closeups taking us into their space and involving us in their experiences. Shot crisply in muted autumnal colours, events in the forest are intercut with the actions of Aadu’s spin-doctor who is trying to report unfolding events in the most positive light possible.
I spent a while figuring out what sort of movie Mushrooming wanted to be. At times I was uncertain whether I was watching a comedy, a horror film or a buddy/mis-matched couple movie. Traits of all of these were discernible. Just when I thought I had it figured out the film changed direction again. We are shown the effect that the need for popularity has on politicians, and the difficulty people with different lives have in accepting each other. But overall this is a comedy, as the man in front of me testified through a series of deep belly-laughs.
Mushrooming is a first feature film from theatre director Hussar. He is no academic slouch, having studied mathematics, theology and acting. He has written and directed plays and TV dramas, as well as published short stories. He wrote the film script as well, which is low-key, but manages to keep the attention. There is no sense of waste in the direction though the script does rely on one particular deus ex machina and a few coincidences. Tamm and Ulfsak work well together and do their best to create a believable relationship between the disparate men, though the ending left me with questions.
Estonia has a population of 1.3 million and the film industry is extremely small. Last year only about five or six films were made and of these Mushrooming was the most successful. It was also the fourth highest grossing film in the country, even taking into account Hollywood blockbusters. It is not the sort of film for people who like everything tied up nicely by the end, but it is engrossing and has some beautiful shots of the Northern Estonian forest. I have been mushrooming many times and have never returned with a basket as fully laden as one I saw in the film. I know ‘shroomers keep their favourite patches secret, but I’d like to know where exactly which forest they were in. If anyone knows get in touch.
Estonia
2012
93 mins
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