Returning from retirement, Aki Kaurismäki continues his proletarian trilogy Shadows in Paradise (1986), Ariel (1988), and The Match Factory Girl (1989) in his latest film, Fallen Leaves. A lonely woman isolated from the world except for the radio that brings news of the invasion of Ukraine, and a self-proclaimed tough guy who drowns his sorrows in alcohol, meet on the streets of Helsinki at night and are instantly attracted. Their cautious romance moves forward step by step through a few coincidences and a few bad lucks. Even if the dry humor is hard to swallow, there are moments that will make you laugh out loud, and you’ll find yourself quietly rooting for the first and perhaps last love of these characters, who must have had countless failures in their lives. Though it may not be novel or groundbreaking, this is the epitome of Aki Kaurismäki’s filmography, four decades of his devotion to acknowledge our innate loneliness. Cinephiles will especially enjoy discovering his tributes to maestros such as Bresson, Godard, Jarmusch, and Chaplin. (Karen PARK)