Les feuilles mortes

A film brimming with charm, thanks to its human characters, struggling in their own way to make a living. She's a cashier, moving from job to job. She owns her own apartment. He's a manual laborer who works in a factory, but drinks. And he goes from job to job. They cross paths. They're both alone. They're drawn to each other. Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. They're both shy. But there will be grains of sand in the mechanics of their relationship. Aki Kaurismäki doses the construction of this couple perfectly.

Aki Kaurismäki sprinkles his film with references (Jean-Luc Godard, George A. Romero, for example). The result is a short film, and all the better for it. There are no unnecessary sequences here. There's no extra-diegetic music. Without going too fast, Aki Kaurismäki builds the love story between the characters. A film to warm the heart.

Ansa has been fired after the sell by, working in a supermarket time don't fly by, now she's lost and all alone, at least she has her little home, but she'd like to have someone, to share good times by. Holappa has been fired because he drinks, kind of guy who's world's eroded and just stinks, but he's fallen for a girl, it's put his head into a swirl, although the way things seem to go, you'd think he's jinxed. It's a story of two folk that come together, amid the backdrop of a war that seems to tether, as they do their best to miss, the opportunity for bliss, and start to live their lives, combined together.

I'm not here to write a full review but just to share one observation. The Finland in picture is not real, neither it is a Finland of the past, despite of artifacts from the 70s and 40s. It is a Finland of proletariat, an allusion to what was once and could possibly still return. The colors, the fashion, the rhythm, and the certain quality of post production of the film is deliberately made to look like old Soviet cinema (perhaps). I grew up in Soviet Union, so immediately recognize that aesthetics, as well as the reality of the depressed suburbs, omnipresent alchoholism, and the worst kind of proletariat reality, where people are neither given a setting for developing nor being in any way protected. The war in Ukraine is an actor of the film as well. It is present from the opening scene and on - some listen to it, some switch the channel off, but it constantly comes back to interact with the characters. The film might be, among other things, a commentary on the reality that modern-day russia represents. Also interesting that the main male characters are delusional as in wanting to be something they are not on multiple occasions (Holapa's friend wanting to be young or a singer-superstar signing large contracts, or Holappa himself claiming he could easily be a "cool guy" if only he wanted to). It is certainly about us all, and how much delusional hopes are a part of human condition. Yet these become paramount, a desperate means for escape, in a world where people are living in poverty and with little means for self-actualization. Of course there is also this scene when Anse comes to the hospital to read to Holappa and sits down onto a chair painted in blue and yellow, but that might be already a bit of a stretch to think this might symbolize ukraine fighting to get whatever Holappa represents out of darkness and into the world of hope. Overall it's a charming feel-good movie, classically Kaurismaki.

It's is hard to believe that movies like Falles leaves are produced in 2020's. It's so unique and perfectly acted movie. The movie proves the fact that the content in movies matters. Not marketing nor special effects.

The movie, like other Aki Kaurismäki movies are entire own world. People are without rush, there is no glory or other waste. I would save the movie atmosphere is a bit surrealistic, that makes it fascinating to watch. Some times the movie is time trip, but some times Fallen leaves show the ugly faces of modern society.

It contains also some sense of humor without jokes. I like this movie a lot, but I am middle aged man. How does the movie work with younger people? For me, the movie good and inspiring experience.

..not with the movie, but with another seeker. That seems to be the main idea of Kaurismäki's movie Fallen Leaves.

Life is hard and monotonous. It's also petty, particularly when you're on low wages. So find someone to squeeze. Have a go at a bit of solidarity too.

Ansa and Holappa are both working annoying jobs in modern day Finland. They listen to news of the latest atrocities from the Russian army in Ukraine, they have a cigarette or a swig, they sit in unhappy bars, they struggle with their bosses, they are lonely. They admire the cinema.

Some of the vignettes are well informed about poverty, earlier in my life I worked in a supermarket where we would be in trouble if we took out-of-date food, even though we were hungry and were being made to throw it in the bin. The bosses' view was that we would deliberately let things go off, or over prepare fresh food if we were allowed to take the out-of-date food away. When we have money we take for granted things like internet access, when you don't someone will gouge you for a few minutes access.

Spend some time with someone who catches your fancy, use some energy to not mess it up. There's no sex in the movie and I quite like that in a society that over-fixates on fetishized addiction sex. Sometimes it's just lovely to have company, to talk and listen to music, just to feel their presence. Wouldn't you like a person round the house oh lonely cinema goer?