One of the protagonists in Fallen Leaves, Ansa (Alma Pöysti), lives a rather monotonous routine life. She works a dead-end job at a supermarket, doing mundane tasks like stocking shelves and pricing items. Afterwards, Ansa commutes home every night and listens to the radio reports about the Ukraine-Russia war, or upbeat pop songs that makes her long for a more exciting life.

Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), the other protagonist of the film, is a semi-functioning alcoholic construction worker suffering from depression. He constantly drinks on the job, and then goes to a bar to even drink some more after work. One day, his colleague invites him to a dingy karaoke bar in a surreal scene, where emotionless patrons watch on as other customers sing on stage. Needless to say, this is last place in Helsinki you’d go to if you’re searching for a cool nightlife experience, but it works for the city’s working class. This is also where Ansa and Holappa first meet, although it’s not until later that the two will hit it off.

Set in the present day, Fallen Leaves is the latest work from Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki in six years. Clocking in at around 80 minutes, Kaurismäki wastes no time in getting to the bottom of things with tight editing and crisp shots. Devoid of any fat, Fallen Leaves moves along at a breakneck pace. Have I also mentioned that this film is also consistently funny? The characters are not chatty – Ansa and Holappa barely have any long conversations – but their lines are mostly comprised of droll one-liners with Finnish dry delivery.

Sure, it’s a comedy. But there’s a constant gloomy atmosphere over the course of the film. The repeating coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war and the overall tediousness of the couple’s jobs, it’s clear Kaurismäki paints a pessimistic outlook for the Helsinki working class in the modern world. Despite this, Ansa and Holappa connect romantically even in the face of several obstacles. Ansa hates his drinking – her father and brother died from being alcoholics – and Holappa doesn’t take kindly to being told to stop boozing. However, there’s little doubt that the couple would push through any hardship thrown in their path.

This is the first film I’ve seen from Aki Kaurismäki, yet I find myself connecting heavily with the characters he has created. While the scale is small and the narrative is simple, the realistic depiction of modern life in the perspective of regular people, and their efforts in trying to find something meaningful, is strongly relatable.

Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.