This is the story of Touko Laaksonen, creator of Tom of Finland, one of most iconic homoerotic art brands of the modern era. Pekka Strang delivers a subtle but compelling performance as the Finnish military officer who survives the repressive anti-gay post-WWII era through his macho, hyper-sexualized drawings. Which years later, would become an archetypal part of the gay rights movement.
Although the timeline jerks from a slow first half to a rushed second half, and the story surprisingly restrained for such hedonistic subject matter. The cinematography and score are absolutely beautiful . The story has enough poignant moments to be a fitting tribute to a gay icon. All these make it a worthy submission from Finland in the upcoming Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film. B+
