SnoopyStyle

In Helsinki, Ansa Grönholm is a lowly stocker in a supermarket. She is followed by a security guard checking on her taking home expired products. Holappa unhappily works at a metal shop. The lonely twosome finds a connection in a karaoke bar.

My other experience with Aki Kaurismäki is Le Havre and I have the same issue here. While I appreciate his filmmaking style, the stone-faced deadpan delivery gets tiring after a time. In this movie, I find the supermarket incredibly compelling, but I have some trouble with the relationship. It's still very hard to feel for their connection when the actors are not reflecting back any emotions. Everybody else seems to love these movies. I'm just not one of them.

Peter Pearce (Griffin Dunne) is getting divorced from his wife Maria (Rosanna Arquette). His father is divorced from his mother despite their long marriage. His son Nick is getting married and is having a bachelor party in Mexico. His other son Mickey has recently come out. For some reason, Peter is booked in a nearby resort.

I never got that involved with these guys. I'm a little intrigued with Griffin Dunne because he's Griffin Dunne. I'm never intrigued with the boys. There is something interesting in the father-sons story. It's too fleeting to fill the whole movie. I get the attempt at man-love stories. I'm just not in love with the love.