Fallen Leaves: A Tender, Timely Love Story from Aki Kaurismäki
Still screening in Spanish cinemas, Fallen Leaves, the latest gem from Aki Kaurismäki, stands as one of the finest works of contemporary cinema. A pre-Oscar contender for Best International Feature, this film might just be the perfect blend of Bressonian acting and a classic love story, arriving at a moment when we need it most.
Set in a bleak, depressed Helsinki, Kaurismäki follows two people navigating the rough edges of precarious work and existential loneliness. Ansa, a supermarket employee with virtually no labor rights, works merely to survive. She meets Holappa, an alcoholic struggling under similarly harsh working conditions, unable to control his addiction—even at the cost of his job.
Kaurismäki doesn’t shy away from the political and social context of the story. The war in Ukraine plays in the background on the radio; the characters’ conversations are laced with awareness of global instability and their own poverty. It’s clear the filmmaker intends to place this story within a specific historical moment, acknowledging that real love and real lives unfold amid economic hardship and geopolitical unrest.
There’s a saying in cinema: “The more local a story, the more universal it becomes.” And Fallen Leaves is a perfect example of that truth—it’s a deeply local, specific tale that resonates globally through its emotional honesty.
The film also offers a subtle, playful homage to cinema itself. At one point, the characters go to see Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die, a nod not only to Kaurismäki’s real-life friendship with Jarmusch but also to the zombie-like routine of everyday survival that haunts the protagonists. The dry, deadpan humor in both films creates a kind of meta-commentary, reinforcing the ironic, absurd tone of life depicted onscreen.
Kaurismäki embraces understated performances, minimalist storytelling, and irony—clearly drawing from Robert Bresson. The result is a film that’s not only wry and heartwarming, but also a love letter to cinema itself.
Fallen Leaves is now showing in theaters and available on MUBI.
