• Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki’s third feature but the first I can find
  • Blue collar protagonist in a comically harsh world—blending dry laughter and bitter realism
  • The routine of a garbage man to jazz music to start—the two actors most associated with Kaurismäki—Matti Pellonpaa and Kati Outinen (she plays a cashier who fixes his hand and he asks out)
  • Ironic deadpan—Kaurismäki is curt and matter of fact but certainly in on the joke (I’m not sure all of the uninitiated to Kaurismäki will be)
  • The holes in his apartment wall—talking about Florida (not the only think that makes you think of Jarmusch or Strangers Than Paradise)
  • They take off like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde—a fable and love story with a wink “can you support both of us?” “Small potatoes”
  • The shot at 45 min is a jaw-dropper- framed by the doorway– like much of Kaurismäki’s work there is one of these shots—that’s it. Perfectly framed—reminds me of Fassbinder—it’s a shame he didn’t do it more or we’d just have a much better film- painterly composition
  • Recommend/Highly Recommend border