Fallen Leaves: Aki Kaurismäki’s film is hard to categorize: it is a (bone dry) comedy, a (rather unromantic but still sweet) romance, and a Kaurismäki melodrama (which is very different from a regular one); that’s not to say it’s not entertaining, because it is in spades. It follows two loners who eventually decide to try to engage in a relationship. The characters seem to be forbidden by the law to display any emotions, so when a hint of a smile appears on someone’s lips, it really means something; the dry, straight line-reading makes the dialogue particularly funny. Alma Pöysti and Martti Suosalo are great as the smart supermarket worker and the alcoholic construction worker; both clearly have some sort of baggage. Editor Samu Heikkilä gives the film a snappy place, and the use of ultra-emotive music raises the irony of it all. Cinematographer Timo Salminen, art director Ville Grönroos, and costume designer Tiina Kaukanen give the film vivid colors, to the same effect.