Rare Exports, Inc. (2003)
*** (out of 4)
Short film that takes a look at a rare group of hunters in Finland who hunt one of the most deadly and rarest games in the world. The targets are elderly men who stalk the wild who the hunters eventually capture, train and release throughout the world as the creature known as Santa Claus. It seems this short was pretty much overlooked when it was originally released but it picked up steam and led to a semi-sequel as well as a feature-length film in 2010. There's no denying that this is an extremely well-made film and those who like their movies with a touch of surrealism will certainly want to check this out. What I loved most is how the movie really plays out like an introduction to a real comedy and I must admit that the narration was masterful in its serious tone and it really sets a wonderful mood for the picture. The scenes of the old man being hunted were extremely well edited and the scenes where they finally break him down were just so wrong yet at the same time so funny. Seeing Father Christmas hunted, beaten and eventually broken is something I'm sure many would be offended by but the film is just so well made that you can't help but laugh. I've always felt lines were meant to be cross and this one crosses it and makes up a few new ones along the way. The hype of the film has reached an all-time high and it lives up to it.
