NZIFF: Fallen Leaves

We close this year’s festival with the most delightful film from Cannes. Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki returns with a deadpan romantic crowdpleaser about two lost souls on a bumpy road to finding each other.

We’re introduced to Ansa (Alma Pöysti), working in a supermarket on an exploitative zero-hours contract. Bristling against having to throw away perfectly good food at the end of the day, she is fired when caught handbagging an expired sandwich. Later in a karaoke bar, Ansa meets construction worker and fellow lonely soul Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) sparking an immediate connection. Their relationship blossoms during a successful movie date, albeit one with questionable cinematic taste. Our hangdog lovers choose none-other than the renowned disasterpiece The Dead Don’t Die from fellow droll merchant Jim Jarmusch for their date night and perhaps the post-viewing exclamation by one “I’ve never laughed so much,” is a clue to the true loneliness of their lives. A subsequent series of mishaps seems to imply that this budding romance could be doomed…

Rated M