Spawning unpredictability

Aleksi Salmenpera’s “Producing Adults,” Finland’s Oscars entry for best foreign-language film, is a deceptively simple comedy-drama that engagingly proves more serious than funny.

Salmenpera is a natural screen storyteller: His camera always seems to be in the right place at the right time in relation to the actors and their settings, and he has a sure sense of timing and pacing.

Minna Haapkyla’s Venla and Kari-Pekka Toivonen’s Antero are a most attractive young couple. He’s an ice skater with an eye on the Olympics, and she’s a counselor, a psychologist, at a fertility clinic. They’ve been a couple a long time, but only now is Antero on the verge of proposing. Meanwhile, Venla yearns for children, but Antero wants to postpone starting a family.

Antero has kept secret from Venla that he has never wanted to have children, even believing that most men feel as he does and that the urge to reproduce is some sort of “female hormonal thing.”

He considers secretly undergoing a vasectomy. Should he do so, and should Venla at some point be able to ascertain that he has a nonexistent sperm count, there’s always that sperm bank at the clinic.

Also there is a vivacious young doctor, Satu (Minttu Mustakallio), as attractive a woman as Venla is, who would clearly be more than willing to help out Venla in a clandestine insemination should it come to that. What’s more Satu is drawn to Venla sexually.

In fairly short order, Salmenpera has set up a premise that could go any number of directions, but happily “Producing Adults” is consistently unpredictable.

Salmenpera comes up with a flurry of ruefully humorous incidents, yet at the same time his film grows ever more serious as he suggests just how messy people’s lives and emotions can be. He’s too wise to pass judgment, even on the dishonest Antero, who is afraid of losing Venla, whom he clearly loves deeply if selfishly, should he be truthful with her about not wanting children.

“Producing Adults” concludes on a note of ambiguity, involving two of the principals. Whatever the interpretation, it’s clear that Salmenpera has a sure sense of what people are -- and are not -- willing to settle for in life. And that is the question “Producing Adults” deftly poses.

*

‘Producing Adults’

MPAA rating: Unrated

Times guidelines: Some sexuality and nudity; adult themes

Minna Haapkyla...Venla

Kari-Pekka Toivonen...Antero

Minttu Mustakallio...Satu

Tommi Eronen...Antti

A Wolfe release of a Blind Spot Pictures production in association with Sonet Films and Film i Vast. Director Aleksi Salmenpera. Producers Petri Jokiranta, Tero Kaukomaa. Screenplay Pekko Pesonen; based on an idea from Salmenpera, Pesonen, Annti Sipila, Tuomo Hutri. Cinematographer Tuomo Hutri. Editor Kimmo Taavila. In Finnish, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Through Tuesday at Laemmle’s Sunset 5, 8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 848-3500.