• Like Shadows in Paradise, 31 years before, this strong minimalist ironic comedy/drama has a transcendent shot—but Kaurismäki doesn’t surround it with enough to make it among his very best work
  • Silent cinema, there are no words for the first seven minutes. Sakari Kuosmanen’s character hands the key and wedding ring to wife, packs bag, she puts the ring in the ash tray- haha
Silent cinema, there are no words for the first seven minutes. Sakari Kuosmanen’s character hands the key and wedding ring to wife, packs bag, she puts the ring in the ash tray- haha
  • Live music and drinking- always in Kaurismäki’a cinema
  • Like Le Havre it is a story on immigration—both leads here are starting a new life with Kuosmanen’s character moving on from his life. The odd pairing of the two, essentially creating two fish out of water is definitely Jarmusch
  • A long poker game that sort of takes you out of the film
  • “Do your friends call you Wally?” – “I have no friends”- haha
  • 4-5 of Kaurismäki films now have news footage of war atrocities—certainly a statement on this unforgiving world
  • There are three absolutely stunner frames towards the end of the film- the frame of Sherwan Haji’s character vacuuming at 65 minutes, great set design- blue wall, red carpet, the Hendrix poster
There are three absolutely stunner frames towards the end of the film- the frame of Sherwan Haji’s character vacuuming at 65 minutes, great set design- blue wall, red carpet, the Hendrix poster
  • At 72 minutes with the passport counterfeiter—the symmetry at the table with the blue shutters
  • And finally—one of Kaurismaki’s greatest paintings if you will- a jaw-dropper—gob-smackingly beautiful—81 minutes- the shot of Kuosmanen drinking whiskey alone with the light pouring in
And finally—one of Kaurismaki’s greatest paintings if you will- a jaw-dropper—gob-smackingly beautiful—81 minutes- the shot of Kuosmanen drinking whiskey alone with the light pouring in
  • Recommend / Highly Recommend border