- Film Review
- Reviewed By David Parkinson
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4 out of 5
Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki is at his most laconic with the concluding episode of his "Loser" trilogy, following Drifting Clouds (1996) and The Man without a Past (2002). Yet there's a grim fascination in security guard Janne Hyytiainen's inevitable seduction by femme fatale Maria Jarvenhelmi. No one does deadpan melancholia quite like Kaurismäki, but there's also plenty of wry humour in his attitude to both Jarvenhelmi's cool-blonde villainy, which deliciously spoofs Tippi Hedren's performance in Marnie, and Hyytiainen's wilful fatalism as she involves him in a crime. Despite the downbeat tone, there are hints at his possible redemption, thanks to the attentions of hot-dog seller Maria Heiskanen. The film is made all the more compelling by Kaurismäki's calculated references to Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Hollywood noir, as well as cinematographer Timo Salminen's allusions to the paintings of Edward Hopper.
Plot Summary
Wry drama from director Aki Kaurismaki, starring Janne Hyytaianen and Maria Jarvenhelmi. Finnish night watchman Koistinen doesn't have many friends, so when a cool blonde starts to show him some attention, little does he know that he's being duped into unwittingly facilitating a jewel robbery.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Koistinen
- Janne Hyytiainen
- Mirja
- Maria Jarvenhelmi
- Aila
- Maria Heiskanen
- Lindholm
- IIkka Koivula
- Shift boss
- Matti Onnismaa
- Supervisor
- Sulevi Peltola
- Security guard
- Antti Reini
- Boy
- Joonas Tapola
Crew
- Director
- Aki Kaurismäki
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