Fallen Leaves (2023) dir. Aki Kaurismäki

The fleeting beauty of temporal happiness is no less beautiful. That’s the poetic heartbeat of Aki Kaurismäki’s latest film, Fallen Leaves. The long-time favorite Finnish director of festival circuit regulars, Kaurismäki has made one of the most talked about films of the year with his fifth movie of the 21st century. Fallen Leaves premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival and won the Jury Prize after competing for the Palme d’Or. The title will also represent Finland at the 96th Academy Awards, and it seems a surefire for a shortlist in the foreign language section (though the Academy may always surprise me), in addition to landing on a plethora of critics’ Best-Of lists. It’s not too difficult to see why, either. Kaurismäki’s deadpan style and tonally controlled tragicomedy makes for one of the most interesting watches of the year.

As if Hong Sang-soo meets Jim Jarmusch (my fellow Cuyahoga Falls native whose The Dead Don’t Die makes a surprise appearance), Fallen Leaves meanders without getting lost in its own pretension or despair. The Swedish actress Alma Pöysti plays Ansa, a zero-hour contractor at the local supermarket (before trying on other equally low-paying jobs). She manages to stay afloat through shitty work situations and an inopportune love life before she meets Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), an alcoholic. The booze is a no-go for Ansa, who lost both her father and brother to alcoholism. Holappa doesn’t appreciate the quick judgment, but eventually comes around to give his feelings a chance.

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