The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki [Hymyilevä mies] **** (2016, Jarkko Lahti, Oona Airola, Eero Milonoff) – Movie Review

I never thought I’d say this about a boxing movie –  it is sweet! But the this isn’t your usual boxing movie. It’s really a romance, and certainly a fine romance.

Jarkko Lahti stars as Olli Mäki, in co-writer/ director Juho Kuosmanen’s true story of a humble Finnish amateur boxer who gets a chance at pro boxing, but falls in love while he has a shot at the 1962 World Featherweight title. He heads Helsinki to get ready to face the strongest opponent from the United States in a historical event for his whole country.

But Olli Mäki is torn between boxing and true love for Raija Mäki (Oona Airola) in Kuosmanen’s surprisingly sweet and charming debut feature film, which was awarded the Un Certain Regard Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was an official submission for the 2017 Oscars.

The three main actors are tremendous, with both Mäki and Airola totally appealing, and the black and white filming is triumphant, recalling the art movies and the film-making and images of the era (1962).

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki  [Hymyilevä mies] went ahead and made my day. It couldn’t have been better. The real-life couple’s brief cameo at the end is a thrilling heart-warmer.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review

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