squelcho Another beautifully observed vignette from the mind of Aki Kaurismaki. Kati Outinen may not be the most beautiful woman in Europe, but like Guiletta Massima, she owns every scene she's in. Kaurismaki's usual suspects deliver a tight ensemble piece drenched in bathos, and inspired by the indomitable spirit of honest working people. The fatalism that cloaks the the lives of the central characters as they fall on successively harder times, until all they have left is their dignity. The sound of the unseen roulette wheel in the unseen casino interior is the death rattle for their minimal life savings. Naturally, with this being a modern fable, Kaurismaki will not let his heroes suffer in eternity, and manages to engineer a happy ending, albeit one with a heartstopping pirouette.The score is a delight, from the piano player's melancholy jazz introduction to the tango lament at the last night of the Dubrovnik. Kaurismaki has an ear for haunting songs, and always sets them perfectly in context.As noted by other reviewers, this is the complete antithesis to the crash, bang, wallop, ersatz hysteria of Hollywood. Personally, I find it it all the more thrilling for that. It's a white-knuckle ride through the despair of sudden unemployment, tinged with touching fidelity, optimism and above all, dignity. Bravo, Aki.

unkka Celebration for unacting! If you like movies where less is saying more - this is your movie. The wonderful positive attitude of people in difficult situations is something to learn from. Kati Outinen is great - again. She suits this movie perfectly. Kari Väänänen as her husband is the perfect Finnish hard working man whose life isn't a struggle but an art-form it self. Also Markku Peltola as a cook gives once again a memorable performance. The music moves the scenes into another level. Finnish melancholic tango in this environment makes almost a conflict between the things happening in the screen and the music. What a wonderful tribute to Matti Pellonpää.

Mort-31 What I particularly like about this film are its colourful settings, suggesting a Helsinki less grey and damp as portrayed in other films. The screenplay, the acting and the directing are precise, which is the main reason why this sad story is really a comedy. The story is very clear and therefore not boring - a quality not applicable for every Kaurismäki film. Yet Ilona and Lauri's fate is surely not a classic example for what happens to Finn worker couples today, I think the bizarre surroundings underline the whole film's quirky and slightly absurd mood.This is the best Kaurismäki film I've seen up to now.

niwasan This is a very interesting film, the complete opposite of the glamour of hollywood. It is very slow, but I was never bored, and the lack of sentimentality is very refreshing.If you ever get the opportunity, do sit down and take the time to watch it.