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      Letters to Father Jacob

      2009 1h 15m Drama List
      69% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 75% Audience Score 500+ Ratings Ex-convict Leila works for a blind pastor who answers letters from the needy; when the letters stop, she finds a new role. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (13) Critics Reviews
      Betsy Sharkey Los Angeles Times It's a story of faith expressed with simple grace and the small deeds of a pardoned sinner still searching for forgiveness. It is like a minimalist stage play -- three acts, two characters, quietly redemptive. Rated: 4/5 Oct 14, 2010 Full Review Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times Transforms a picture-postcard location and odd-couple narrative into a pretty, and pretty predictable, snooze. Rated: 2/4 Oct 8, 2010 Full Review V.A. Musetto New York Post Letters could be dismissed as a soap opera, but that would be unfair to this beautiful work. Rated: 3/4 Oct 8, 2010 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row A searing an unforgettable evocation of one man's simple faith and compassion, that finds something of the divine in simple human kindness. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 7, 2019 Full Review Aaron Yap Flicks (AU, NZ, UK) ...unfortunately the film doesn't leave an impression of narrative economy, more of deflating, inconsequential wispiness. Rated: 2/5 Jun 12, 2012 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Finland's Oscar entry is a mildly engaged melodrama about unexpected role reversal. Rated: C+ Jun 19, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member I liked this film a lot. I agree with the review of it by Betsy Sharkey. I had toyed with writing one myself but I do not have the skill at this point to do it justice. Sharkey's review speaks to how I feel about it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Very moving; hard to watch the whole thing without a tear in your eye. The two main characters were very convincing. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member A short little Finnish film. An ex-convict get's some sort of job at a blind priest's place. It reminds me of a cabin without any luxury or neighbours. Her job is to read letters to Jacob, letters with requests for prayers. It's lovely shot and sweet classical music lift's it as well. It tends to be boring but it short lenght and nice plot makes it very watchable non the less. A superb finnish makes it a good film. 7 out of 10 leaking roofs. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Kind of cinema that I need right now. Steady, calm, simple, contemplative. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member As far as Finnish drama goes, this is pretty typical, though it has a visual style that's far more cultivated and deliberate than is normal. The film is full of details and carefully thought out use of lighting and sound. Atmospherically this is a very nice film and I managed to fully immerse myself into the world of it. So what went wrong? In short, the story, which should have been a bit longer. The basic idea is nothing special. A prisoner has served her time and is thus released on the condition that she goes to serve an elderly priest that needs her help answering his mail. Okay, so this is spiritual guest about finding the lost soul of this poor woman, I thought. And unfortunately that's pretty much all it is. And don't get me wrong, that alone could have made for a great film, if handled correctly. But it seemed almost as if the film makers were in a hurry to finish the story before it had had the proper time to unfold. You get the proper three act structure, but nothing more. I didn't feel like I had enough time to get to know these characters. We got the introductory scenes where their basic characteristics were established and almost immediately after that the film just ends. We get the emotionally cathartic ending alright, but it means nothing if we haven't managed to identify with these characters and we cannot do that if we are not given the time to do so. So yeah, the movie could have used a few extra scenes. Not too many, mind you, but at least a few. Now the mood feels like a whiplash, going from one end of the spectrum to another with almost no scenes in between. There is one or two, but I could have used a third or fourth. Aside from that major gripe, the film is rock solid. Both of the main actors are really talented and Father Jaakob (Heikki Nousiainen) especially just oozes the elderly charisma of someone who has seen it all and come out on the other side as a better man. Furthermore, the scenery is good, the dialogues are interesting and the whole premise has promise. It's just that I'm far more used to movies that take their time to tell the story so for me this felt more than little jarring. Perhaps it's just perfect for someone who has had a bit more experience with Finnish films, which are generally shorter than most Hollywood productions. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Luminous film-making with powerful measured performances from the two leads which dominate almost the entire film. A beautiful portrait of frail and flawed humanity at its best. Feels a bit a book adaptation though with some gaps in the narrative. Doesnt get in the way of the punch this film delivers. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Letters to Father Jacob

      Letters to Father Jacob (2009) Letters to Father Jacob (2009) Letters to Father Jacob (2009) Letters to Father Jacob (2009) View more photos

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Ex-convict Leila works for a blind pastor who answers letters from the needy; when the letters stop, she finds a new role.
      Director
      Klaus Härö
      Screenwriter
      Klaus Härö, Jaana Makkonen
      Production Co
      Kinotar, Yleisradio
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      Finnish
      Runtime
      1h 15m