A Finnish romance set in an alternative reality where time refuses to stand still
In short: Aki Kaurismäki’s 20th feature film, Fallen Leaves, follows two lonely souls navigating the harsh realities of Helsinki. Despite its deadpan style and retro aesthetic, the film captures a profound, life-affirming search for connection. It is a tragicomedy that manages to feel both timeless and urgently rooted in our contemporary world.
Fallen Leaves, a romantic comedy-drama released in 2023, continues director Aki Kaurismäki’s Proletariat series. The story centers on Ansa, a supermarket worker, and Holappa, a sandblaster struggling with alcoholism. Their paths cross in a karaoke bar, leading to a series of missed connections, lost phone numbers, and the shared struggle of marginalized people seeking dignity and love. The film’s production, which began in August 2022, reflects Kaurismäki’s signature minimalist approach, with lead actress Alma Pöysti noting that the cast was encouraged to avoid over-rehearsing or obsessing over the script.
The film occupies a strange, alternative reality. While the characters use landline phones, tube radios, and old-fashioned trains, the narrative is punctuated by radio reports detailing the early stages of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. A wall calendar visible in the film suggests the setting is autumn 2024, creating a deliberate temporal dissonance. This atmosphere is bolstered by references to cinematic history, including Charlie Chaplin’s Limelight and David Lean’s Brief Encounter, grounding the modern romance in a lineage of classic, soulful storytelling.
Critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with the film winning the Jury Prize at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. Critics have praised its ability to evoke empathy without resorting to ironic posturing. Dean Fleischer Camp noted that the film encourages audiences to reject cynicism, while others, such as those at Time, have labeled it a quiet masterpiece. Beyond its festival success, the film was recognized by the National Board of Review and the International Film Critics Federation, and was even selected as an official recommendation for the Jubilee Year 2025 by the Dicastery for Evangelization.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Fallen Leaves (film)
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