Aki Kaurismaki - Shadows In Paradise (1986)

Shadows in Paradise (Varjoja paratiisissa) 1986

Shadows in Paradise is the first installment of the "workers trilogy" (continued with Ariel and The Match Factory Girl), and arguably Kaurismaki's finest film (at least until he made The Man Without a Past).
The film's magic resides entirely in its minimalism: little dialogue, sober settings, raw, Finnish humor, real, likable characters and no overacting, as Kaurismaki tells his simple, universal, incredibly touching love story. Pellonpaa and Outinen's understated, affecting performances complete each other, with valuable support from Sakari Kuosmanen as Melartin, Nikander's best friend, who even steals from his own daughter to finance his buddy's dates. Not that his behavior is exemplary, but it shows how much these people care for each other, and that's where Kaurismaki succeeds: he makes us emphasize with these characters despite their many flaws, and delivers an astounding, memorable picture.
A true masterpiece of Finnish film-making, from the best director that country has ever spawned (and of Europe if am i say)

IMDB ID: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092149/


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