Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: Aki Kaurismaki
Starring: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu
You might expect a film about a shy woman in a relationship with an
alcoholic man to be a gritty piece of social drama centred around domestic
abuse. Were Fallen Leaves British rather than Finnish, that
would almost certainly be the case. But Finland is a country filled with shy
people and alcoholics, and no doubt a lot of shy alcoholics, and they aren't
defined by those aspects of their personalities. In most western countries
people are always being encouraged to talk more and drink less, but if we're
honest, the more we drink the easier we open up.
"I drink because I'm depressed," confesses Holappa (Jussi Vatanen),
the not-so-romantic male lead of Aki Kaurismaki's latest quirky comic
drama. When asked why he's depressed, he replies "Because I drink." But
Holappa has no intention of giving up the gargle - it's what gets him
through the day. Resembling a match that's been struck too many times,
Holappa works in construction, living on site with a colleague, Huotari
(Janne Hyytiäinen), who is always trying to shake him out of his
stupor. One night Huotari convinces Holappa to accompany him to a karaoke
bar, where Huotari hits awkwardly on a woman who mocks him ruthlessly.
Holappa makes a silent connection with the woman's friend, Ansa (Alma Pöysti), but neither acts upon their obvious mutual attraction.
Ansa (a Finnish name which translates to "trapped") lives a similarly glum
existence. She's just been fired from her supermarket shelf stacking job for
taking home expired food, some of which she was donating to the homeless,
and a subsequent job cleaning dishes in a grim pub comes to an end when her
boss is arrested for dodgy dealings. Unlike Holappa, she refuses to wallow
in her tough circumstances, always immediately picking herself up from every
setback.
When Ansa and Holappa finally connect, their first date goes well, in a
very Finnish way with neither feeling the need to engage in much
conversation. Ansa gives Holappa her phone number, but the big klutz
immediately loses the piece of paper that bears her digits. The two attempt
to track each other down, often comically missing each other by mere
moments.
While it's as doleful and deadpan as any of his films,
Fallen Leaves might be Kaurismaki's most accessible film to
date. It has the narrative simplicity of a Chaplin short and it's the
perfect entry point for those new to his distinctive aesthetic and
worldview. His closest English language cousin would be Jim Jarmusch, who
gets a nod here when Ansa and Holappa attend a rep house screening of
The Dead Don't Die. Like those of Jarmusch, Kaurismaki's films often feature taciturn
protagonists surrounded by people who talk a lot of nonsense. Both Ansa and
Holappa are constantly having to listen to others rabbit on about rubbish,
so it's no surprise that they feel a kinship in their silent mystery.
Of course, when they get together things don't entirely go swimmingly, with
Holappa stubbornly choosing the bottle over a shot of love when Ansa makes
it clear that she doesn't want to be around a sullen drunk. Like Paul
Schrader's
Master Gardener
and David Fincher's
The Killer, Kaurismaki's film is the latest 2023 movie that plays like an aging male
auteur advising their core audience to put away stubborn male pride and
embrace whatever woman is willing to put up with you.
Pöysti and Vatanen aren't the sort of actors that usually front romantic
dramas. They're both attractive people but they've clearly lived, with their
ups and downs carved in the wrinkles and lines of their faces. The Helsinki
of Fallen Leaves is similarly battered, its walls covered with
peeling movie posters and outdated trams chugging through grey
streets.
When their wrinkles and lines are stretched by a smile late on, nobody in
the audience will begrudge Ansa and Holappa whatever happiness they might
find. With news from Ukraine providing a grim soundtrack every time Ansa
turns on a radio, Fallen Leaves suggests the Finnish people
may want to embrace life and love in these uncertain times.
