Michael's Movie Grade: A+
This romance from Finland is easily my favorite movie of the year.
Aki Kaurismäki is one of the rare filmmakers of today, who has an immediately recognizable style. If you are familiar with his films, there is no mistaking one for anyone else's. While his unique style may not appeal to everyone, I find myself becoming a bigger fan with each new film of his I watch. This is honestly one of his best movies. Here the writer/director takes what could be a simple average romance movie and turns it into something truly beautiful. Though (like in most of Kaurismäki's films) there is little emotion shown in the characters' faces or voices, we immediately connect strongly to these characters and fell for them. The main couple are two individuals who go in and out of various dead-end jobs and except for one close friend each are isolated and alone in this world. Aki Kaurismäki's signature deadpan style and often limited uses of dialogue work perfectly to convey the monotony of their jobs. You can feel them emotionlessly just going through the motions in any of the scenes involving them at work (something that is even seen in background characters at their jobs). This may seem like something little and inconsequential, but it is very important. This makes us feel deeply for these characters and want them to find happiness with each other. Sometimes heartbreaks in a movie may come from some major plot point, but in real life sometimes the greatest unhappiness comes from simply accepting a joyless life and it is this that the movie captures so well.
All this may make this film simply seem like a depressing dirge of a movie, but the truth is that it is anything but. The movie may be presented in a rather deadpan fashion, but it does follow many romantic comedy conventions. Because of this as well as the scenes that explore what it seems like for our lives to hit a dead end, the movie also does a wonderful job of showing how the romance between the main characters brings a little joy and light into their lives. There is always a glimmer of hope throughout this film. Sometimes this hope is very well hidden and sometimes it is right up front. This may not be your typical feel-good movie, but it does make you appreciate certain things even more as you leave. It doesn't show that life is easy or everything that makes you feel like you are going through the motions will disappear. However, it does mean that you can find happiness elsewhere and outside of your dead-end job (or whatever you feel is keeping you down). This message can be just as beautiful as the more typical "follow your dreams and they will come true" message that many movies give you. This movie is also full of the type of deadpan humor that film buffs have come to associate with Aki Kaurismäki. Even the saddest scenes are often times accompanied by this wonderful deadpan humor. Even as a fan of the director I was amazed at just how much I laughed out loud watching this movie. The comedy is not very broad, and it can often times be quite subtle but that doesn't make it any less funny. I wasn't the only one laughing as most everyone in the theater with me laughed out loud quite a bit.
This movie is a pure triumph and once again proves that Aki Kaurismäki is one of today's best auteurs.
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