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Rikos ja rakkaus is a picaresque comedy about small-town criminals and good-time guys who, in their struggle for survival, get tangled in a net of secrets and lies. The central character is Marsipaani, a bootlegger and a charming small-time criminal, who falls in love with Kristiina, a parish treasurer. Kristiina is having an affair with the parish priest but after Marsipaani steps into the picture, she immediately shows him the door. The weird events of the film begin when one morning Marsipaani is found murdered by a lake near his home. His circle of friends consists of unprofessional thieves, amateur liars, and plain crooks. Under police interrogation, their statements reflect a mixture of high hopes and unfulfilled dreams. The film is based on a play by Jari Tervo, a popular writer best known for his portrayal of losers and anti-heroes from his home in Lapland. Pekka Milonoff directed the stage version, which has been performed successfully all over Finland. He used predominantly the same cast for the film. The film conveys the message that sometimes it does not take much to become a criminal.