Ariel: the dream of escaping an empty and (financially and spiritually) impoverished existence is a storyline near and dear to Aki Kaurismäki. The particulars make the difference, and this film tells the story of a Finnish miner who moves from a small town to Helsinki, where things don’t go exactly as planned despite meeting a single mother. As is Kaurismäki’s wont, this film is very straight-faced about its absurdities, but the tone here is dark; the fight for a better life is not an easy one. The cast is game for the subdued tone and very efficient: Turo Pajala plays the protagonist, a hard-working and silent man with a romantic streak; Susanna Haavisto plays the likewise hard-working single mom who falls for him; Matti Pellonpää has a short participation as a man he befriends in the pen.

At this point, it’s no surprise the soundtrack (which mixes classic blues with songs in Finnish) is pitch-perfect, that the pace is very tight (edited by Raija Talvio), and that the camerawork of cinematographer Timo Salminen is simple and elegant.