Varjoja paratiisissa

Oct 17 1986 Not Rated 1h 14m
Comedy, Drama, Romance

Nikander, a rubbish collector and would-be entrepreneur, finds his plans for success dashed when his business associate dies. One evening, he meets Ilona, a down-on-her-luck cashier, in a local supermarket. Falteringly, a bond begins to develop between them.

Plot

Only connect. In gray, class-conscious Helsinki, Nikander is a stoic, solitary garbage man. Cigarettes, coffee, bingo games, and English lessons border his circumscribed life. There are few words, no smiles, and no laughter. Violence and the threat of violence seem close at hand. Ilona, a supermarket clerk who frequently loses her job, bandages Nikander's hand one evening; later he gets her out of a jam, and they begin an on-again off-again relationship. "Why do I keep losing?," Nikander asks his co-worker, Melartin, a man Nikander met in jail and helped get a job. Can he break his losing streak?

Written by

Aki Kaurismäki

Directed by

Aki Kaurismäki

Production Countries

Finland

Production Companies

Villealfa Filmproductions

Languages

English, svenska, suomi

Awards

1 win

Scores
# of Votes
7,823
Average Rating
7.5 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA