Fallen Leaves (12A)

★★★★✭ "Another gorgeous tragicomic farce from Finnish maestro Aki Kaurismäki, a heartfelt cinephile ode to the possibility of love among the working classes." ~ Little White Lies.

---

Award-winning Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre, The Other Side of Hope) makes a masterful return with Kuolleet lehdet, a timeless, hopeful and satisfying love story that won the Jury Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Set in modern-day Helsinki, the film tells the story of Ansa and Holappa, two lonely souls whose chance meeting at a local karaoke bar is beset by numerous hurdles. From lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism and a charming stray dog, the pair’s path to happiness is as bittersweet as it is ultimately delightful.

Shot through with Kaurismäki’s typically playful, idiosyncratic style and deadpan sense of humour, this tender romantic tragicomedy is both a loving tribute to the filmmaker’s beloved contemporaries and a timely reminder of the potency of movie-going from one of cinema’s living legends.

Languages:
Finnish

Subtitles:
Full English

---

★★★★★ If you see one film this week, make it this gem. Thank goodness Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki came out of retirement to make this delicate, deadpan love story. ~ The i.

★★★★ The Finnish film-maker’s sweet-natured odd-couple romance fills you with a feelgood glow and laughs in the face of Putin’s threat to the country. ~ The Guardian.