Perhaps Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki’s (The Man Without a Past, Le Havre) simplest film of his 40-year career, an amusing and bittersweet seriocomedy, Fallen Leaves breaks no ground; it’s executed like his other films, but it still achieves a lot of poignancy with its screwball comedic and melancholic approach. By merging the artifice with modern commentary, Kaurismäki uses his deadpan approach and tone with backdrops of radio news coverage and Russian-Ukrainian war coverage going on in the background.
We are introduced to the film’s main protagonist, Ansa (Alma Poysti), a single woman who lives and works in a grocery store in modern-day Helinski. She was let go of her job after getting caught stealing expired food items that were set to go bad. She ends up countering Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), who is also let go from jobs due to his dependence on alcohol. He was let go of multiple jobs after his supervisors caught him drinking on the job. They both form a slight romance after meeting at a karaoke bar, and they end up going to the movies together to see Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die (which is ironic considering both filmmakers have been compared together), and Ansa ends up giving Holappa her phone number outside a retro art house movie theater that is draped with old movie posters of iconic movie posters (Contempt, L’Argent, Pierrot Le Fou).
Courtesy Mubi
Alma walks away, and Holappa puts her number in his jacket, only for it to fall out when he goes for a drink. Of course, they are both shy around each other and never tell each other their names. Like a melancholic romance in a Wong Kai-Wai film, they both long for each other as Alma awaits a phone call and Holappa goes back to the movie theater each night in hopes she sees another movie again. Of course, they reencounter, and Alma invites him over for dinner. They are both shy and socially awkward. In a very sweet scene, Alma buys an extra dinner plate to emphasize her loneliness. She buys a small bottle of champagne, and sure enough, Holappa downs the drink. While she is cleaning up, she catches him sneaking a drink from the flask in his coat. She confronts him, and he says that he doesn’t want to be controlled.
As his life falls apart, he ends up giving up drinking, and the universe ends up testing their love once again in the most bizarre and trying circumstances. Here, just like the romance on display in The Man Without a Past and Drifting Cloud, Kaurismäki’s highly artificial style doesn’t get in the way of the character picture, rendering the film more charming than precious. Despite visual repetitions, Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen both deliver sweet chemistry together that humanizes their characters and flaws. They deliver charming impressions with their understated performances, and you can’t help but feel resonance with their scenes together. While the film has all the makings of a screwball romance, Kaurismäki holds a genuine approach to his latest film, avoiding contrivances and cynicism. His rich visual style and insights into his characters give it enough bliss that lifts it out of routine cliches.
Fallen Leaves is now playing in limited theaters. It will be playing at the Detroit Film Theater Saturday, December 16th and Sunday December 17th, 2023. For tickets and showtimes please visit Fallen Leaves | Detroit Institute of Arts Museum (dia.org)
If it is executed like The Match Factory Girl (or his other movies as you say), I will likely pass on it. It is always a pleasure reading your work, though.
Sounds intersecting a director whose works I’m yet to explore. This sounds like a good jumping in point
Kaurismäki Is one of the great masters of cinema. I was under the impression that The Other Side of Hope was to be his final feature. This comes as great news!
This is very interesting. I’ll put it on my list.
I agree this is of a piece with his other films — the flat, affectless presentation, the deadpan, offbeat and mordant wit, the story of misfits or outsides fumbling their way towards some kind of connection. It’s a well-word template, but Kaurismaki somehow succeeds each time despite the familiarity in tone, humour and narrative. I agree this is quite good, without being something that will change your world. 3 stars as well.
It looks interesting… not my typical pick — but if I can get to the DIA to see it, I will.
Sounds interesting and a movie I would probably like to see .great review .
5/5 for me. I absolutely adore it and count it as one of the very best films of 2023. The “Diary of a Country Priest” reference was hysterical. The two leads are wonderful, and though unlikely, the happy ending, canine and all, is not so far from the realm of possibility. My favorite Kaurismaki film. Your review is splendid!!