Synopsis
Lonely garbageman Nikkander (Matti Pellonpää) finds himself directionless after losing his friend and co-worker to a sudden heart attack; unlikely redemption comes in the form of plain supermarket cashier Ilona (Kati Outinen, in her first of many performances for Kaurismäki), with whom he begins a tentative love affair. Boiling down what is essentially a romantic comedy to a series of spare and beautiful gestures, Kaurismäki conjures an unexpected delight that finds hope blossoming even amid gray surroundings.
Cast
| Nikkander | Matti Pellonpää |
| Ilona Rajamäki | Kati Outinen |
| Melartin | Sakari Kuosmanen |
| Co-worker | Esko Nikkri |
| Ilona’s girlfriend | Kylli Köngäs |
| Shop steward | Pekka Laiho |
Credits
| Director | Aki Kaurismäki |
| Producer | Mika Kaurismäki |
| Screenplay | Aki Kaurismäki |
| Cinematography | Timo Salminen |
| Art direction | Pertti Hilkamo and Heikki Ukkonen |
| Editing | Raija Talvio |
| Sound | Jouko Lumme |
From the Current
Eclipse Series 12:
Aki Kaurismäki’s Proletariat Trilogy
by
Sep 22, 2008
The cinema of Aki Kaurismäki has been tickling viewers for more than two decades without so much as cracking a smile. With their rotating casts of sourpuss Finns and their stringent, often immobile compositions, his films would seem the least likely candidates for laughs, yet by some cinematic . . .
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