Short, thin 'Fallen Leaves' fumbles the falling, then leaves
MUBI
Describing the 78-minute “Fallen Leaves” as “slight” makes the Finnish romance sound sweet and charming. In fact, this oddly overpraised comedy-drama is quite depressing, zeroing in on two characters who don’t seem to have much to offer each other and forcing them together in ways both cliche and unconvincing.
Neither Ansa (Alma Poysti) nor Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) have had much luck lately, with her being let go from a grocery store for taking an expired product and him struggling to hold down a job because of how little he does to hide his drinking. When the two meet at a karaoke bar, there’s a certain minor affection, or at least a shrugging acquiescence to the comforting idea of someone else to pass some time with. That’s a dynamic that shouldn’t be overplayed, yet writer-director Aki Kaurismaki (“Le Havre,” “The Man Without a Past”) mistakes convenience and lack of information for a deep bond.
If this is barely engaging as a love story, “Fallen Leaves” loses even more steam by falling back on weak, familiar sitcom tropes like (SPOILER ALERT) a lost phone number and a coma. The result is hardly a curious look at people struggling to make ends meet finding a kindred spirit in a difficult, unpleasant world (the only radio broadcasts anyone listens to feature discussions of the Russia-Ukraine war) but just two thinly conceived characters navigating a mediocre story.
Fortunately if you like comedies from this part of the world, you’ll likely find the low-key humor winning. (Example: “I heard you needed a new dishwasher.” “I still do; the last one died.”) But it’s hard to take a so-called great romance seriously when it eventually reminds you of a Buster plotline on “Arrested Development.” Coma!
C
NEW: WANT TO SETTLE A MOVIE DEBATE, TALK ABOUT '90S FAVORITES, OR EVEN HAVE YOUR SHORT HOME MOVIE REVIEWED? BOOK A VIDEO FROM MATT VIA CAMEO
ORDER “TALK ‘90S WITH ME: 23 UNPREDICTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH STARS OF AN UNFORGETTABLE DECADE”
Matt’s new book arrived Sept. 27, 2022, and Richard Roeper raves: “Matt Pais deserves four stars for reintroducing us to many of the greatly talented but often unsung heroes of 1990s film. This is a terrific read.”
ARE YOU A “SAVED BY THE BELL” FAN?
Order “Zack Morris Lied 329 Times! Reassessing every ridiculous episode of ‘Saved by the Bell’ … with stats” (featuring interviews with 22 cast members, plus the co-founder of Saved by the Max and the creator of “Zack Morris is Trash”)
GET 100 STORIES FOR JUST $4.99