Review: Free Skate

A Russian figure skater (Veera W. Vilo, who also penned the screenplay) is found unconscious on the side of the road in Finland. Her grandmother (Leena Otila) whom she hasn't seen in years takes her in and helps her establish a new life there, free from the abuse she suffered before.

Vilo wrote the script based on experiences she and other friends had as competitive gymnasts. Her intention is to bring to light the unfortunate connection between female sports and human trafficking. Choosing ice skating as her medium feels very relevant. We're not that far removed from the drama that went on during the winter Olympics with the Russian team. 

She carries the film well. The skater (none of the characters have names) has clearly been through a lot, and now she's in a new country where she doesn't fully grasp the language. She's met with patience and compassion, which we see with juxtaposition against the horrid abuse she experienced before. Leena Otila radiates warmth as her grandmother and we know immediately she's in good hands.

I will say, this feels very much like a first feature even though it's technically director Roope Olenius' second. It lacks some technical elements that would've made this most polished. Better scene transitions, fight choreography and staging, background actor suggestions, etc. I thought the characters could've been fleshed out more as well. The fact that they were not even given names shows this was more an intriguing idea than it is a well rounded screenplay. All the Russians feel like caricatures, and because of that the 3rd act feels very messy.

Still, we all have to start somewhere, right? I appreciate what Vilo and co tried to do with what they had here. It's a solid start and I haven't seen many Finnish films, so I'm happy I got the chance to see this one.

Free Skate will have a limited release in U.S theaters on January 27th, then will be available digitally on February 27th.