It’s a comedy and one of the romantic variety without any irony or cynicism.

| Apr 10, 2025

In an exploitative and cruel world, this shambling, quiet romance captures both the void of loneliness and the warmth of human touch.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Sep 18, 2024

33 years later, Aki Kaurismäki continues his Proletariat series with Fallen Leaves, a hilarious and winning deadpan delight.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 3, 2024

Fallen Leaves has humorous and moving moments, but they are too few in number. In general, the self-consciously restrained style is irritating, not illuminating. It closes the film off to life, rather than opening it up.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 26, 2024

The achievement here is dramatising such a simple, even unpromising story of everyday romance so coolly, and with so much charm.

| Aug 14, 2024

The film exudes a quiet sorrowfulness that informs every plot beat and every visual choice.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 19, 2024

The fleeting beauty of temporal happiness is no less beautiful. That’s the poetic heartbeat of Aki Kaurismäki’s latest film, Fallen Leaves

| Jul 4, 2024

However understated, Kaurismaki’s film also offers a warm love story about two lonely people, one alcoholic, struggling to break out of their dead-end lives. ... No matter how bleak life can be, Kaurismaki suggests, there is hope.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Mar 16, 2024

One of 2023's 20 best films.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Mar 12, 2024

Kaurismaki emphasizes human resilience and the value of love with his filmmaking gestures, in an absolutely gorgeous and hugely affirming love story. It’s one of those pure delights that’s hard to resist.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 2, 2024

An odd couple story seasoned with playful inconsistencies and deadpan humour that brings, or appears to bring, unlikely lovers together in an out-of-kilter society

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 28, 2024

In any case, it is an interesting film that deserves to be seen for its unconventional style and its audiovisual features. [Full review in Spanish]

| Feb 27, 2024

Just like in his previous works, the director employs a subtle and, ultimately, poetic humor, with stoic and distant characters who nonetheless manage to captivate our sensitivity [Full review in Spanish]

| Feb 23, 2024

By design, Fallen Leaves isn’t so much a romance as a series of gestures towards the idea of one. You can’t tell this kind of story any more, is the implication, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could?

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 19, 2024

Nobody speaks unless they have to, although there is a wealth of wordless communication. At a time when movies seem to be getting longer and longer, Kaurismäki keeps everything under 90 minutes.

| Feb 18, 2024

Thoroughly boring...An arthouse sedative.

| Original Score: 1/5 | Feb 16, 2024

This movie does follow that arc in its own way. It feels like there’s a big beating heart awaiting its moment.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 15, 2024

In paying homage to Finnish culture, Fallen Leaves might prove to be a valedictory statement from one of the world's great auteurs. Like all great films, Fallen Leaves makes us ponder deeply our philosophy of life.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 14, 2024

This quietly funny and endearingly gruff movie keeps you hoping our two would-be lovers will be together by the time the final credits roll. Wonderful stuff.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 14, 2024

While sad songs punctuate and homages to many great romantic films where two would be lovers are separated and need to find their ways to one another play out, the Finnish master makes room in our darkest times for us to smile, even for a short while.

| Feb 14, 2024