Fallen Leaves

I was very intrigued by the trailer for Fallen Leaves (it won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year) so I decided to see it at the Broadway yesterday afternoon.  It is a quirky story about how two lonely people overcome a series of obstacles to be together and I loved it!  Ansa (Alma Pöysti) lives alone in a tiny apartment in Helsinki and works a series of low-paying and monotonous jobs.  She notices Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), an alcoholic metalworker who is frequently fired for drinking on the job, at a karaoke bar (in a hilarious scene) and they have a series of random encounters as they struggle to survive in an urban hellscape.  They eventually get together for a date (they see the movie The Dead Don't Die and I laughed out loud when Adam Driver appeared on the screen because I certainly wasn't expecting that) and realize that they are attracted to each other (but don't know each other's name).  Complications ensue which keep them apart until they both decide to take a chance on each other.  Aside from the unexpected cameo by Adam Driver, I loved so many things about this movie!  The humor is incredibly subtle (I once again laughed out loud at a throwaway line about Luc Besson) and the performances are almost deadpan but hint at the sadness underneath.  There is very little dialogue but both Pöysti and Vantanen convey so much with just a glance (and a wink) and all of the needle drops (depressing lyrics with surprisingly upbeat music) are perfect.  The time period is strangely ambiguous because, even though there are references to the Russian attack of Ukraine during the endless newscasts our protagonists listen to, the production design is anachronistic (they listen to the news on the radio rather than the TV) and there is a retro color palette evoking a post-war Finland.  This is very effective at setting a tone of hopelessness despite the hopeful resolution.  I found this gem to be absolutely charming and I highly recommend it!