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Things We Do for Love

Name: Things We Do for Love
Director: Matti Ijäs
Released: 2013
Duration: 99 min

Representation Score

5.5/10

Fair

2013

Director

Matti Ijäs

Runtime

99 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Things We Do for Love is a character-driven romantic drama that emphasizes interpersonal conflict over broader societal issues. The film excels in subverting traditional gender roles, especially through Ansa's volatile and impulsive behavior. However, the narrative remains confined to a traditional, homogeneous social setting with a focus on a conventional heterosexual pairing. This limits the film's engagement with broader identity themes. While the film offers psychological depth through individual temperament and personal frailties, it does not provide significant structural diversity or representation of underrepresented groups.

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Category Breakdown

Does Things We Do for Love have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The story focuses on a relationship between Vaarala and Ansa that follows conventional heterosexual norms. The film does not include any characters with non-conforming gender identities or critique straight-centered assumptions.

How does Things We Do for Love portray gender?

Fair

Ansa challenges traditional gender roles by being a spirited and impulsive character who shifts the emotional dynamics away from the male lead. This disrupts the typical protector-victim dynamic.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Things We Do for Love?

Limited

The film seems to center around a localized, homogeneous Finnish setting. There is no indication of a multi-ethnic cast or diverse demographic representation.

How does Things We Do for Love represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative delves into subjective morality through characters with complex personal histories. While it avoids simplistic binary archetypes, it does not have a clear anti-institutional or specific cultural stance.

Does Things We Do for Love include disability representation?

Limited

Vaarala's internal struggles shape his character development. It is unclear whether these challenges are related to physical, mental, or neurodivergent conditions.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by giving the female lead a strong, impulsive presence.
Explores complex, non-binary character archetypes through personal history and morality.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-conforming gender narratives.
Maintains a homogeneous social setting with limited racial and ethnic diversity.
Does not clarify the nature of the protagonist's internal struggles.

Official Synopsis

Vaarala, a reserved romantic photographer, has an odd artistic vision of loneliness: he takes serial photos of an empty park bench in remote spaces of nature. When he meets and falls in love with the spirited, unruly Ansa, his ‘bench’ is suddenly filled. But in order to be with her he has to not only overcome his own frailties, but also the impending danger of Ansa’s volatile ex-con ex, and then Ansa herself, a woman prone to impulsiveness and impetuousness.

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