Review: Pullo cavaa ja aurinkoa

Four artist friends have travelled abroad on a joint holiday trip every year. Now it’s the turn of Portugal, where one of the women has found what she thinks is the perfect house for all of them. There they could spend their old age together in the warmth of the sun, sipping cava. He has even agreed on a deal for the house. The problem is that he hasn’t told anyone else. The situation is not helped by the fact that none of them actually have the money for such a large investment. Except that now a wealthy buyer has appeared for one painting, if only they can agree on the sale of the painting.

A Bottle of Cava and the Sun is a show by four delightful actors. Screenwriter Helena Anttonen and director Milko Lehto, together with actors Heidi Herala, Eija Vilppa, Jaana Saarinen and Aino Seppo, have succeeded in creating each charming character suitably different and human in order to make the whole full. Saarinen is a male party-goer who likes to wear high heels, while Seppo’s character is his complete opposite. Quiet, calm and caring. Herala is restrained and “artistic”, while Vilpas is bold and mouthful. Tuulia, played by Seppo, became my own favorite. Seppo managed to dig out the right kind of humor from the character, even though the character was very sensitive, cautious and withdrawn.

At first, the play felt like a warm comedy about the friendship of four women, but once it reached the picture stores, it turned into a pure farce. Fortunately, however, that was not the main focus of the performance, but the focus was more on the bonds and differences between the characters. That’s where the heart, soul and humour of this performance were found.

A Bottle of Cava and the Sun doesn’t even try to tell the viewer any big message. It is a very light comedy that allows the viewer to break away from the darkening autumn in Finland for a couple of hours. And as such, it works just fine.