V2 – The frozen angel

V2 – The frozen angel brings back Vares. Hard-boiled suspense and dark humour.

Cold beer and hot women light up Vares

The second Vares is another hard-boiled thriller with a cartoonish cast of characters and a dark sense of humour. At the centre of the action is Jussi Vares, a private detective from Turku, a perpetual law student familiar from Reijo Mäki's detective stories. Vares, in his forties, is a man of action who conducts confidential investigations on anyone's dime without moralizing. Vares has only two weaknesses: cold beer and hot women, neither of which he tends to refuse.

The first film based on the character of private detective Jussi Vares was roughly called Vares. It premiered at the end of July 2004 and was the highest-grossing domestic film of the year.

The second film in the series is even more succinct: V2. It's a real Vares bomb, written by Marko Leino based on the novel The Frozen Angel.

V2 is a celebration of amazing characters!

A wild character gallery colours another Vares. National premiere will be on 12 January 2007.

Frontline Finnish actors and an imaginative cast of characters characterize Aleksi Mäkelä's second Vares story, V2, based on the novel The Frozen Angel (1990) by Reijo Mäki. Mäki, 47, has already written seventeen Vares books, the latest of which (Hard Luck Cafe) was published on 06.06.06.

Like the previous one, V2 is an unabashed action thriller with a dark humour, but in a world far removed from the rain-soaked world of 2004's Vares.

Screenwriter Marko Leino defines the story like this:

"V2 is a hard-boiled thriller with a cartoonish cast of characters and a dark sense of humour. At the centre of the action is Jussi Vares, a private detective from Turku, a perpetual law student familiar from Reijo Mäki's detective stories.

Vares, in his forties, is a man of action who conducts confidential investigations on anyone's dime, without unnecessary moralizing. The hard-boiled Vares has only two weaknesses: cold beer and hot women, neither of which he tends to refuse."

Jussi Vares is of course played again by Juha Veijonen. The main supporting cast includes Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Jussi Lampi, Lotta Lindroos, Kari-Pekka Toivonen, Vesa Vierikko, Kari Väänänen, Jasper Pääkkönen, Kari Hietalahti, Johanna Kokko, Pekka Huotari, Markku Peltola and Elina Knihtilä.

Synopsis

"On that freezing cold night, the life of the young and beautiful Mirjami Sinervo was cut off on a white slope. Unraveling the mystery became an obsession that led to a race against death. On the eve of the final reckoning, the common sense told it was better to take the feet under than to leave feet first. But I, Jussi Valtteri Vares, did not listen to the thought..."

Jussi Vares (JuhaVeijonen), a private detective in acute financial need, receives a phone call from Pori. The caller is Vares' old school mate Jarkko Tienvieri (Hannu-Pekka Björkman), who is offering a private detective job. The Pori police suspect Tienvieri of the murder of Mirjami Sinervo (Johanna Kokko), a young woman who died during the winter. Vares' mission is to solve the crime so that Tienvieri can regain his reputation as an honest second-hand car dealer.

At the same time, Veikko Hopea (Jussi Lampi), a tough killer released from a Swedish prison, heads to Pori.

In the heat of the century in Pori, Vares quickly discovers that not everything is quite as Tienvieri would have you believe. Before Vares can get any further in his investigation, a murder takes place that turns the initial situation around. The investigation leads him deeper and deeper into the darkness behind the facade of the city of Pori.

Vares ends up in a situation where an unwary predator is quickly subdued to be preyed upon. He gets a first-hand experience of what Mirjami had feared.

After a decisive showdown and many bodies, the pieces fall into place – except for one. Vares returns to Turku, completely unaware of who killed Mirjami Sinervo.

That's where the viewer is wiser.

What's wrong with Pori?

How did Jussi Vares end up in a place as bad as Pori?

Jussi Vares, the private detective in Reijo Mäki's suspense novels, is a man from Turku who, in quite a few books, leaves his hometown for work and money. In The Frozen Angel, Vares is called to Pori to investigate the strange death of a beautiful woman.

Reijo Mäki knew what he was writing about. He comes from Siikainen in northern Satakunta and knows Pori inside and out. He only moved to Turku, where he studied, when he was older, and made his detective story hero Jussi Vares into a Turku native.

As Vares is, by coincidence, a man who seems pretty much like Mäki, Vares also moves around smoothly among the thieves and women in Pori. Aleksi Mäkelä was so inspired by the idea of Pori as a film location that he chose The Frozen Angell as the basis for the script of the second Vares.

"When I was going through Mäki's production again for the second Vares, I remembered seeing Pori in the national crime news quite often."

"Maybe that's why I stopped at The Frozen Angel and started to see more and more of Pori in small headlines. They may not be the best tourist advertisement for Pori, but they are very appropriate for the film."

Mäkelä also liked the people of Pori written in the book, whose characterization was hilarious even on the scale of Reijo Mäki. In the character gallery, all the villains and some of the other characters are drawn tongue in cheek.

Mäkelä's finished V2 film does not show the beautiful riverbank or lush park landscapes of Pori. The locations and environments were chosen for their appearance. But the standard was not beauty. Even in the dialogue of the film, Pori is glimpsed, and not always in a positive light.

When Vares wonders how the Käppärä boys' mafia can run Pori as they please, investigative journalist Jalkanen responds with a snotty retort:
"Hey, this is PORI!"

When amateur actress and bisexual Lila Haapala, waving a pistol, orders Vares to drop his pants, Vares does as he is told and wonders: "What the fuck is wrong with you people of Pori?"

Rampe Toivonen
(This article was also published in Villilä magazine in December 2006)

Characters

Jussi Valtteri Vares Private detective from Turku. Reijo Mäki's character in the novel combines virtues associated with real men, such as cold beer and hot women, with vices, such as cold beer and hot women.

Jarkko "Jakke" Tienvieri Abandoned by his wife and children, a talkative man whose company Auto-Jagge sells bumpy cars. Vares' old school mate is in trouble as the police suspect him of murdering Mirjami Sinervo. Motto: Money is such an old invention that there should be enough for everyone!

Taisto "Pusse" Pusenius Former prisoner, hired by Tienvieri as a sales manager of Auto-Jagge. Booze and women tend to seduce the slow-witted man whose heart's warmest place is reserved for Veko Hopea. Motto: Drink away the booze!

Veikko "Veko" Hopea A nearly emotionless violent criminal has spent most of his adult life in Nordic prisons. No wonder freedom tastes good. "No witnesses will be left behind," he promised himself on the right side of the prison gate. Motto: Dead birds don't tweet!

Usko "Ude" Saastamoinen A corrupted detective inspector in his fifties is not happy about Vares' investigations. As a boy, Saastamoinen, along with three other powerful men from Pori, swore a blood oath that read: "The Käppärä boys always stick together. To the death."

Lila Haapala The best friend of Mirjami Sinervo, who was found dead. Amateur theatre actor. Even gets Vares into his pants. Bisexual.

Mirjami Sinervo A beauty who attracts men is found dead. The trail leads to secrets, lies, sex and video. More bodies turn up, but will the mystery be solved?

Aarno "Arska" Kaitainen A completely discouraged bank manager is on a tightrope of Tienvieri, which is not good for the nerves. However, Käppärä's son keeps his blood oath. Motto: Black porn is the best!

Dante "Dani" Hell The arrogant Dan Hellman is the lead singer and frontman of a metal band in his twenties. Dani's father Nils is the owner of Satara, Pori's largest construction company, and the son of Käppärä. Motto .

Kullervo "Kulli" Visuri Real estate agent and Mirjami Sinervo's neighbour is a woman who has not had sex change surgery yet. The absolute soul of Club Vaselin, though no more special than any other member. Motto: Miaouw!!!

ROLES INCLUDE:
Jussi Vares – JUHA VEIJONEN
Jakke Tienvieri – HANNU-PEKKA BJÖRKMAN
Veikko Hopea – JUSSI LAMPI
Mirjami Sinervo – JOHANNA KOKKO
Lila Haapala – LOTTA LINDROOS
Taisto Pusenius – KARI-PEKKA TOIVONEN
Harry Jalkanen – PEKKA HUOTARI
Usko Saastamoinen – KARI VÄÄNÄNEN
Nils Hellman – SEPPO PÄÄKKÖNEN
Matti Urjala – MATTI ONNISMAA
Aarno Kaitainen – VESA VIERIKKO
Tom Marjola – TOMMI KORPELA
Dante Hell – JASPER PÄÄKKÖNEN
Kullervo Visuri – KARI HIETALAHTI
Sirkka Bryggman – ELINA KNIHTILÄ
Luusalmi – MARKKU PELTOLA
Inspector Hautavainio – JOPE RUONANSUU
Jere Kannus – TURKKA MASTOMÄKI
Theatre director – NIKO SAARELA
Receptionist – EEVA LITMANEN