The Finnish-German road trip with bittersweet humor and #1 box office hit in Finland by director Mika Kaurismäki starring Rosalie Thomass is also available on Prime Video, Apple TV+, MagentaTV, Videoload, and MOSAIK.
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https://youtu.be/ioVQu4CZnKQ?si=cT9I017BT-CmEmEI
A cinema co-production by Solar Films (Jukka Helle, Hanna Virolainen), Aspekt Telefilm and Cuckoo Clock Entertainment (Raoul Reinert), supported by the Finnish Film Foundation, MOIN Film Fund and the German DFFF.
The daily life of a grumpy old man GRUMP in rural Finland follows a predictable routine. As he goes about his daily tasks, he often thinks of his brother Tarmo, who moved to Germany decades ago. Tarmo was supposed to take over the farm, but he disappeared without explanation and all contact was lost. When the old man has an accident with his beloved 1972 Escort and the car ends up in the junkyard, he urgently needs a replacement—but only the same model will do. He finds a suitable car in Germany on the internet.
His sons Pekka and Hessu have enough worries of their own, so he sets off alone with a suitcase full of cash. No sooner has he arrived in Hamburg than he is attacked and robbed. He wakes up in the hospital – sitting at his bedside is Tarmo, who was found to be his next of kin. Reluctantly, the dissimilar brothers set out together in search of the Escort and get to know each other anew in the process. After much friction, they grow to understand each other. Both carry old wounds, and slowly a process of reconciliation and healing begins.
Tarmo, his daughter Maria and her son Max, as well as Pekka and Hessu in Finland, also rediscover the value of family ties. Mika Kaurismäki, one of Finland’s best-known and most prominent directors alongside his brother Aki, studied in Munich and speaks fluent German. With “Grump – Auf der Suche nach dem Escort” (Grump – In Search of the Escort), he returned to Germany and directed a Finnish-German road trip with bittersweet humor. (Text: arte)
Mika Kaurismäki directs Finnish comedians Heikki Kinnunen and Kari Väänänen as estranged brothers and Rosalie Thomass in this quirky and endearing family story, using laconic humor. – blickpunkt:film
An entertaining, warm-hearted comedy – Kulturnews
Captivates with its slow-paced charm – TV Spielfilm
Contrary to its title, this film puts you in a good mood and makes you realize the value of reconciliation and forgiveness – Szene Hamburg
A slow-paced road trip that will make you smile – Cinema
You leave the theater with a smile on your face. Thanks to Grump and his heart of gold – Player Leipzig
This story is peppered with such lovable characters and side plots that it’s worth watching this film. Without being overly sentimental, it creates a warm lightness that even non-grumpy people can relate to and enjoy. – Nerdtalk
A dark yet heartwarming comedy – Leipziger Volkszeitung
Mika Kaurismäki has succeeded in creating a family-friendly, funny, but also emotional film in which you sometimes don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Typically short but truthful dialogues meet bizarre scenes and images, while the illustrious team of actors and actresses are allowed to act to their hearts‘ content. – Unser Lübeck
After all, a real road movie is all about the adventurous joy of driving, and Grump and Tarmo maintain this enthusiasm until the very last minute of the film – Kino-zeit.de
Cinema entertainment with laconic, dry humor. – kino-zeit.de
An absurdly laconic road movie with lots of subtle situational comedy – NDR Journal
The dry humor of the sparse dialogue ultimately makes “Grump – Auf der Suche nach dem Escort” a warm-hearted feel-good film with some depth – dpa, FAZ, Stern, Frankfurter Rundschau
Mika Kaurismäki’s film “Grump” is like the beloved fur hat of the thoughtful farmer from the rural wilderness: warm and soft – Leipziger Volkszeitung
A charming little film that makes us smile again and again, but also makes us think – typically Finnish… – nochfilm.de
A typically Scandinavian, quirky road movie by Mika Kaurismäki – Hamburger Morgenpost
A quirky feel-good road movie – Rhein-Zeitung
A road movie by Mika Kaurismäki, situated between laconic comedy and distinct feel-good moments, which deals with the wounds of the past and the realization of one’s own wrongdoing – tip Berlin
Reconciliation in Finnish – Berliner Morgenpost
A German-Finnish road movie that is absolutely worth seeing until the very last minute – kulturkueche.de
A pleasantly understated film that takes the audience on an entertaining yet relaxing journey. If you like a mixture of laconic humor and contemplation, this is the place for you – filmrezensionen.de
GRUMP is both a provocative and feel-good film –kulturexpresso.de