by Mark Murton

Original Finnish title: Komisario Palmun Erehdys

Also Known As: Inspector Palmu’s Error

Directed by: Matti Kassila

This review contains a Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: When infamous tycoon Bruno Rygseck (Jussi Jurkka) is found dead in his bath tub, seemingly due to an accident, Inspector Palmu (Joel Rinne) is charged with carrying out the routine investigation, but he soon starts to suspect foul play.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The first scene that features the (for now unseen) cat is when Aimo Rykämö (Pentti Siimes) arrives at his rich and decadent cousin Bruno’s crime-themed dinner party carrying a basket. He flashes the contents of the basket to Veijonen (Leevi Kuuranne), the butler, who is surprised at what he sees, exclaiming: “But that’s…” “Surprised, huh”, laughs Aimo. The other guests – Aimo’s sister Airi Rykämö (Elina Salo) and her fiancé, Erik Vaara (Matti Oravisto), plus his daughter Irma Vanne (Elina Pohjanpää) – duly arrive and take their places at the dinner table, with Aimo keeping the basket close by on the floor next to his seat.

Kitty Carnage Warning! The next day, with the discovery of Bruno’s body, Inspector Palmu and his colleagues arrive at the house to question the occupants, including Veijonen who they find in the garden digging a small grave. Asked who is to be buried, Veijonen replies “Princess Adeline” and uses the blade of his shovel to open the small box nearby to reveal the body of a dead cat.

As the questioning continues Veijonen reveals that Aimo arrived with Princess Adeline in his basket.

Veijonen then goes on to explain that towards the end of the evening his drunken boss instructed him to bring a saucer of cream for the cat. Then as he and the dinner guests, minus Erik, look on, Bruno adds poison to the cream.

Bruno then puts the cat down to drink the cream after which it quickly expires.

At this moment, Bruno’s aunt, Amalia Rygseck (Saara Ranin), arrives and Veijonen escorts her to the dining room where a grinning Bruno shows her the cat.

Threatening Bruno that he’ll pay for what he has done, Amalia gently picks up the cat and hands it to Veijonen, instructing him to “Bury the princess in the garden”.

Palmu’s investigations continue and during his questioning of Irma he learns that the idea behind Bruno’s crime-themed dinner party was that each guest should steal something that the owner couldn’t or wouldn’t report to the police. Aimo, at Bruno’s instigation, had stolen Amalia’s beloved cat, which he is seen letting out of the basket at the dinner table.

As Irma continues to recall the dinner party the final, fitting, shot of the cat shows it cowering on the dinner table hissing at the guests present.

Final Mewsings: And the director’s mistake was thinking we’d find these characters entertaining after they stood by and witnessed the callous killing of a cat.

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