Ansa and Holappa are two lonely souls just trying to get by in Helsinki today. Both work low pay factory jobs, scrounging everything they have just to feed themselves daily, usually with very modest meals. Ansa spends most of her day working, and falling into bed exhausted after she gets home to ready herself to do it all again the next day. Holappa, on the other hand, uses alcohol to relax, to the point that he even finds himself drinking on the job. Their dwellings are nothing special with Ansa living in a tiny one room apartment, whilst Holappa lives in the lodgings provided by his employer, often with other workmates. Life is tough for them; they work hard and have little to show for it. However a glimmer of hope is offered, when at a night of karaoke Ansa and Holappa meet. They are instantly attracted to each other, and Ansa gives Holappa her phone number, which he immediately loses. Will destiny bring these two together again, or is their fate to wander the Earth without that special someone?
As I said in the opening paragraph, “Fallen Leaves” did not disappoint. I absolutely fell in love with the film right from the onset. It was everything I wanted it to be, and more. It is so good (and increasingly rare) to go a cinema and have a movie live up to the expectations you have for it. With “Fallen Leaves” being my most anticipated film of 2023, those expectations were obviously very high, but Kaurismaki has created an absolutely lovely film here. It was one of those films where I knew I had a big, ridiculous smile on my face the whole time I was watching it. “Fallen Leaves” is the fourth film in his Proletariat Trilogy (which is so funny, and so Kaurismaki, to have a fourth part in a three part trilogy) which included the previous films “Shadows in Paradise” (1986), “Ariel” (1988), and “The Match Factory Girl” (1990); all of them are outstanding, showing the plights of low income workers, with “The Match Factory Girl” being not only my favourite of the trilogy but my favourite Aki Kaurismaki film overall. “Fallen Leaves” fits nicely among these group of films, both in its quality of filmmaking and in its themes explored.
A lazy critique often heard from the director's detractors is that if you have seen one Kaurismaki film, then you have essentially seen them all, which is just not true. Story plots, the tone or mood of the films, the themes explored and emotions showed, all differ in each film. However, it is definitely true that Kaurismaki has a distinct style, and if you are not already a fan of this style, I hate to say it, but “Fallen Leaves” wont sway you over to the positive side, as he sticks very true to that style. Like always, Kaurismaki has teamed with cinematographer Timo Salminen, to give the film a rich, textured and lived-in look. Bursting with colour and fitted with retro-technology, as you would expect. Radios and televisions all look like they have come from the 1950's, and while surprisingly, mobile phones do make an appearance in “Fallen Leaves”, they are the older, text-only versions from the 90's, that the characters use. In fact, if it was not for the constant reports on the radio about Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, you could swear that the film was a period piece. Other Kaurismaki trademarks like smoke filled pubs, live musical bands, and dead-pan comedy, mixed in with tragedy, are all present in “Fallen Leaves”, so if you are a fan of the director, I cannot see anyone not loving this. The film has been put together expertly; brilliantly shot, and particularly, edited, however the genius of the film comes down to its simplicity. It is a small scale story, that packs an emotional punch. Too many films these days are so overstuffed, in what appears to be just to inflate their running time. The art of editing almost appears dead, in terms of trimming unnecessary fat from a film. “Fallen Leaves” has a running time of only 81 minutes, but every minute is worth it.
“Fallen Leaves” sees the introduction of two new actors in Kaurismaki's world, with Alma Poysti and Jussi Vatanen playing Ansa and Holappa respectively, and both are outstanding. They fit seamlessly into Kaurismaki's Finland, as if they had been working with the director all of their lives. I do wonder how different it must feel for an actor to work in a Kaurismaki film, because he obviously demands the actor to deliver their performances in the most stone-faced and dead-pan manner, with very limited dialogue, and yet still find a way to express emotions within these restrictions. Regardless of how hard they may have found it, both Poysti and Vatanen do a wonderful job in their roles. The film is so funny, because of the dead-pan nature in the way it is told and acted, and I found myself laughing out loud regularly, with the karaoke scene being a particular highlight. Probably the funniest moment of the film is when the couple go to the movies to see “The Dead Don't Die” (a nice nod to Kaurismaki's friend Jim Jarmusch), and the reactions from some of the cinema goers as they leave are just hilarious! Aside from the comedy, “Fallen Leaves” actually tackles some serious issues with depth, particularly Holappa's alcoholism and the detrimental effect it is having on his work life, and relationships, and looking at why he depends on alcohol so much. The Russian invasion of the Ukraine is also highlighted regularly, with reports on how many people have died being a constant on the radio. With Finland sharing a border with Russia, you can feel the strain this war is having on the people of neighbouring countries, which I must admit, was something I hadn't thought of before this film.
It appears that as Aki Kaurismaki is getting older, he is getting a little softer, because his earlier films were all often quite downbeat; hilarious but downbeat. Something changed with “Le Havre” which had the most beautiful, and almost “Hollywood”, of happy endings. Whilst “Fallen Leaves” does take a turn towards the tragic that I was not expecting, it does also end on a note of optimism. There is a golden moment near the end, where Asna smiles and winks, that melted my heart. It is so quick, maybe a second or less, and not something you would normally see in a Kaurismaki film, but the moment is so perfect here; I just loved it!
Overall, I just adored “Fallen Leaves”. After thinking Aki Kaurismaki had retired for good, it was so great to see him come out with a new film, and for it to be brilliant. He has introduced two new actors into his world who are both excellent, although I must admit I missed Kati Outinen not being part of the cast, but it didn't effect the film, and Sakari Kuosmanen does have a nice cameo towards the end as a sweetener. Kaurismaki has made a film that is small in scale, but large in impact. It is very funny, as you would expect, but also does tackle some serious issues too. At a scant 81 minutes, this is cinema at its most efficient, and I really hope that this was not just a once-off for Aki Kaurismaki, and that he once again continues to make films again. His latest, “Fallen Leaves” is a total triumph, and I can see myself rating it even higher after repeated viewings.
4 Stars.
