Drifting Clouds (DVD)

...famous Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, Drifting Clouds is typical of many of his films - it provides a depressing view of Finland and the Finnish, interspersed with a little unexpected and gentle humour. Having said that, I think that this film is a little more vibrant than most. There are the usual long, expressionless faces, but there is a lot more conversation than I've noticed before - usually, the main characters spend a lot of time alone, ...
...and there is a lot more social interaction. This is actually quite a relief, because it makes the film stand out that little bit more.

Kaurismaki's favourite actress, Kati Outinen, stars as Ilona. I've become very fond of her following several of her films - she is as plain as can be and poker-faced with it, but she comes across as being totally natural and my sympathy grows with her during the course of each film. Here, she is hard-working ... more

Ilona and Lauri both have reasonably good jobs in Helsinki: Ilona is a head waiter, Lauri is a tram driver. Then they both get made redundant within a few weeks of each other. Lauri refuses to sign on and, already in debt, they are plunged into despair. Searching for jobs is no easy feat, especially when Lauri finds out that he is deaf in one ear and will never be able to drive again. Can they come to terms with their predicament, or will it be the ruin of their relationship?

Directed by famous Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, Drifting Clouds is typical of many of his films - it provides a depressing view of Finland and the Finnish, interspersed with a little unexpected and gentle humour. Having said that, I think that this film is a little more vibrant than most. There are the usual long, expressionless faces, but there is a lot more conversation than I've noticed before - usually, the main characters spend a lot of time alone, staring into space, but here there are two main characters and there is a lot more social interaction. This is actually quite a relief, because it makes the film stand out that little bit more.

Kaurismaki's favourite actress, Kati Outinen, stars as Ilona. I've become very fond of her following several of her films - she is as plain as can be and poker-faced with it, but she comes across as being totally natural and my sympathy grows with her during the course of each film. Here, she is hard-working and just wants to make an honest living, but, due to unforeseen circumstances, she doesn't seem able to. In this film, she is more loving than usual - she doesn't obviously express it, but there is a subtle show of affection for her husband and, at one point, grief over a photo of what appears to be a dead child. After the extreme displays of affection shown in Hollywood films, this is a pleasant change.

Lauri is played by Kari Vaananen. He is just as difficult to read as Kati Outinen, but again, there is the subtle realisation that he loves his wife very much and is gutted that he is unable to provide for her. Small pleasures like being able to take her out for a meal and buying chops for dinner make him happy. Yet he manages to show this with barely any movement in his face - it is really quite incredible. He also has a few comic moments, such as getting drunk and falling down - it isn't slapstick humour, but it is well executed and I enjoyed watching him. And towards the end of the film, he does soften up a fair bit, becoming much more likeable.

Kaurismaki's depiction of Helsinki and the Finnish isn't exactly rosy. In fact, if I believed everything that was shown on screen, there is absolutely no way that I would go anywhere near Finland! However, if you can appreciate that it is just a portrayal of part of Finnish life - and let's face it, every country has its economic crises - then it really is a fascinating watch. And I think that this film, made in 1996 and is one of his later films, is a lot more colourful than some of his previous films. Ilona often wears a red coat and their flat is nicely decorated - a pleasant change from some of the earlier films, when everything, including the setting, is as dull as dishwater.

In case I've put you off completely by mentioning how depressing the film is, it is worth noting that everything isn't quite as unsatisfying as it first seems to be. It is necessary to wait until towards the end of the film though and I suspect some will be put off by the slowness of the plot to begin with. There is also the fact that the film is in Finnish with subtitles. I have no issue with subtitles, but then I'm used to them, and I can understand that some people may be put off by having to concentrate so much. I do, however, think that the end product is worth it, particularly if you like films that are quirky and a bit different from anything else you've seen.

There aren't any extras with the DVD - perhaps not surprising considering that it is a foreign language film. At 96 minutes, it is, however, quite a bit longer than the other Kaurismaki films I've seen, which tend to stick to about an hour in length. The story suits this length though.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this film. It isn't something to watch when you're depressed - or at least, the first part isn't - but it does leave you feeling as though you've watched something worthwhile and with a moral - hope comes to those who wait. Plus the gentle humour that kicks in occasionally helps. If you are new to Kaurismaki's films, this one is quite a good place to start, as is The Match Factory Girl. Recommended.

The DVD is available from Amazon for a whopping £22.99 - it is probably worth renting or buying a collection of Kaurismaki's movies for better value.

Classification: PG

Running time: 96 minutes 

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