Review: Kaasua, komisario Palmu!

A detective story marinated in crime jazz

It was an excellent idea for director Heikki Kujanpää to build his “Palm” so much on a musical backdrop. Relying on new compositions and a singing team paid off, as it gave the icon a new coat of paint, albeit a translucent one. The bases created by the Waltari-Elstelä duo and film director Matti Kassila inevitably affect the viewers’ experience, and both similarities and differences encourage comparisons. Whether it ends up on the plus or minus side, it still refreshes the insight.

Crime jazz, the heyday of which is said to be the fifties and sometimes even the sixties, especially in films and television series, inspired Timo Hietala to create original “sinful” music for detective stories based on it. The young, talented jazz musicians got into a great creative live action. And the soloist skill and spectacularity – right down to the catchy opening number – were primarily responsible for Vuokko Hovatta, as if in the role of a singer made for her. The musical skills of the young Miiko Toiviainen were also well acknowledged. He was one of the characters at the center of the mystery, the artist Kurt Kuurna, and he visibly enjoyed the detachment of the stage.

One of the most thrilling interpretations of the performance was Jouko Klemettilä’s preacher Mustapää, who was in a class of his own in his slick and fearfulness, as well as Eero Saarinen as a comically important judge who drops words fluently.

In other words, the execution brings other characters in the story to the fore more clearly than Inspector Palmu – Kari Väänänen – and detectives Kokki – Petrus Kähönen – and Virta – Heikki Ranta. But the three mentioned cope well with both the investigation of the murder of Mrs. Skrofi, who died of gas poisoning, and the baggage of previous respected film role interpretations. Väänäs-Palmu has his own grumpy charisma and secret wisdom; The assistants both map out the character type of the original work in their best stage moments. Still, it is more a matter of playing it safe than surprising.

Miiko Toiviainen and Tuukka Leppänen are the young handsomes of the story in the openly arrogant spirit familiar to our time, raised by questionable stimuli, and Sara Paasikoski, who plays Kirsti Skrof, also slips into the bold defiance of the 2000s, providing a comparison with the kind submission of yesterday’s woman. And there are other hints for a more recent theme.

The filmmakers talk about theatre play and the appreciation of the Palm films, and they are happy to believe in that. Nostalgia is strongly present in the videotaped views of Helsinki and in the costumes. And when the premiere audience had been given the opportunity to applaud Professor Matti Kassila, who was sitting in the theatre hall, the evening really felt full.