Mid-century modern romance
Leaves Falling (Finnish, 2023)
tl;dw
A charming romantic comedy about two lonely people trying to find love.
Summary
Two lonely Scandinavians have a chance meet-cute at karaoke and make eyes at each other. There’s a tentative date, then some conflict (lost phone number, wrong address, alcoholism, a cute stray dog, and a near tragedy) before they find a happily-ever-for-now. It’s in present times (we hear of the Russia/Ukraine war on the radio), but is delightfully nostalgic for timeless mid-century light fixtures, brick phones, jukeboxes, burnt-orange curtains, microwave dinners and decrepit European apartments. It’s a dead pan comedy that’s hardly funny at any point, but still feels light-hearted and romantic in a simple, inevitable way.
Trader Joe’s Snack
Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers: The characters, Hollappa and Ansa, endure a number of sour experiences: loss, loneliness, rejection. They are, like all of us, swimming through the vast sea of life, looking for glimmers of hope. The drab apartments and fall chill are counterbalanced with bright colors and sprinkles of humor. The fact that our protagonists find each other and walk off into the sunlit spring, gives each of us the hope of finding sweetness. Also they’re Scandinavian.
Length
80 min
Rating
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDB: 7.3/10
Feels
Hopeful, happy, sad, funny, romantic, cute, little bit depressing, wholesome
Interesting factoid
Winner of Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize and nominated for the Palm D’or
Other films from this director: Aki Kaurismäki
The Man Without a Past; The Other Side of Hope; Le Havre
Where to Watch
Amazon ($4.99 Rental)