Fallen Leaves

In Fallen Leaves, Aki Kaurismaki weaves a delightful tapestry of love that blossoms unexpectedly amidst the backdrop of urban solitude. With his signature deadpan humour and a keen eye for the intricacies of human connection,
Kaurismaki crafts a narrative that resonates with laughter and longing, inviting audiences to revel in the beauty of life’s simplest moments. The film’s enchanting performances and charming cinematography further elevate this bittersweet exploration of romance, making it a standout feature that lingers in the heart long after the credits roll.

A: A Sweet, enjoyable ‘little’ movie. Gordon, Brief Encounters, Jean Gabin and a Glenn McGrath lookalike. What not to like?.(A) Delightful. Loved the music. (A) Makes Finnish life look pretty bleak. Loneliness, single life, alcohol. Dog and love triumphed. (A)

B: Very good film. Small budget cut reflection of life. Enjoyed. Keep up the good film choices..(B) Engaging, sweet film – Thank you (B) Slow and poignant at least with a happy ending (B) The backdrop of war, depression, alcoholism and poverty served to emphasise the love story. (B) Maybe good but so depressing. Does not do Finland any favours. (B) Very sweet film. (B) Depressing + frustrating at first. Simple tale. Very good musical backing. (B) Humorous and bleak – an interesting mix (B) A great time-warp Fantasy-Romance in Finnish with Chekhov directing. (B) Intriguing, seemed to be set in 2 time zones, the homes & factories in the cold war but the news all Ukraine war loneliness finally with dog and a smile. (B) It was quite depressing – The surrounding they lived in. Hard times for so many people. I’m crossing mu fingers that it turns out well for them – hard for some drinkers to stop for good. I liked the music, especially Falling Leaves. So would he! We are nor drowning, just hoping! (B) Humans aren’t meant to live in cities! A wonderful, if disturbingly bleak look at (Finnish?)society. Happy it snatched a bit of joy from the jaws of misery p.s. loved those film posters + music! (B)

C: Good but bleak (C) Curiously appealing. (C) A slow burn one to think about! Interesting visually – but not mu favourite! (C) Not planning a trip to Finland anytime soon. (C) Great acting and directing but now we know why Finand isn’t necessarily the Utopia we are led to believe. (C) A very strange love story (C) Stark, on purpose, I know but I thought I might fall asleep. Loved the last image of the threesome, a little family, I wish them luck – Thanks for a good season!

D: Very different from what I thought. Very gloomy + too slow – the dog was excellent. (D) Great soundtrack. Not exactly uplifting – fascinating nonetheless. Strange v. old radio etc. even though 2024 (D) A bit disappointed, the write up made it sound better, funnier! (D)

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