Kaurismäki’s simple and bleak landscapes are reminiscent of the paintings of Edward Hopper, one of my favourite artists. But from the few movies that I’ve seen from this director, the humourous detachment he imposes on his shots doesn’t hold up to the sincerity of Hopper’s sparse and emotive paintings. In the latter work, loneliness jumps out of these images, but while the Finnish director is talented at blending mild drama and comedy from this flat style, it rarely resonates emotionally in Fallen Leaves. And while I find that Hopper’s consistent style and themes are endlessly refreshing across his oeuvre, I can’t say the same about Kaurismäki’s fictional worlds, with his latest film proving to be a glaring example of the director’s lack of ambition.