Last Cowboy Standing

Last Cowboy Standing (Zaida Bergroth, Finland, 2009)

A teenager who seems sad is on a bus back home to celebrate his younger brothers birthday. They went out to hang out with the crowd in the evening, but a little boy who doesn't belong to the occasion suddenly appears, so the memories and secrets behind the boy's sorrow face start to get revealed.

This first feature by the Finnish female director Zaida Bergroth is based on a play by Antti Raivio. It's Raivio's semi-autobiography, so it would never be easy for anyone to interpret his own very personal story, but Ms Bergroth proved herself a good storyteller and told the story very subtly.

It was a family full of Joy, until one day the older brother Rupert found a letter left on the floor, and everything would never be the same. It's not a very special story to tell, but it's a story which everyone would feel connected to in each their own perspective. Personally, I felt deeply connected to the situation and profoundly moved by the feelings that couldn't be shown in the characters.

Ms Bergroth not only fully transformed the play into a cinematic experience but also brilliantly used a few very imaginative metaphors to lead the audience to get into the story deeper and deeper, but it still maintains a clear view when the memories and the present shuffle through back and forth. It also has some funny scenes that decrease the heavy tone.

The ensemble cast is impressive. especially the two young actors who played the brothers are amazingly good. They reminded me of the equally good sisters in "In America." The use of the song "Sugar Baby Love" and a cover of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" fit the scenes perfectly and make the film more unforgettable.