The Other Side of Hope

Anyone who is a fan of cinema knows Aki Kaurismaki (and even how to spell his name without looking). For one thing, he's the only Finnish director I know of. He's been a big time director for many years, and I was sure I had seen some of his work. But looking over his resume I'm not sure. But I am sure I saw The Other Side of Hope, which he says will be his last film.

The film is about the refugee crisis, but is also drolly funny, which I'm sure is a Finnish trait. A Syrian refugee (Sherwan Haji) has made it to Finland after his house in Aleppo is destroyed by a missile (fired by who he doesn't know) and his family wiped out, except for his sister, with whom he became separated. He asks for asylum and waits patiently in a government center to see if he will be allowed to stay.

Meanwhile, a salesman of dress shirts (Sakan Kuosmenen) walks out of his house, leaving his keys and wedding ring with his wife, who is drinking. He sells all his stock, wins big at poker, and buys a restaurant. He's a stoic, who says he doesn't have friends. Of course we will wait until Haji and Kuosmenen cross paths.

Finland has lately topped lists of the best country to live and it shows in this film. Helsinki seems to be full of warmly-lit bars and folk musicians. Other than a few skinheads, it seems ideal. But when he is refused asylum--the court says Aleppo, possibly the most dangerous place in the world, is not dangerous enough--Haji has to make a bold decision.

The Other Side of Hope reflects on the current refugee issue, with Christian nations behaving in a most un-Christian manor, and men like Haji reduced to hiding in the shadows, but the whole Kuosmemen plot thread is very funny. Kuosmenen is wonderfully deadpan, and the employees he's inherited (including a cook who keeps a dangling cigarette in his mouth) are also nice comic touches (the waitress says she's a trainee, "apparently one who isn't paid"). The last act has a running gag in which the restaurant tries several different cuisines, including a sushi place, with the employees in kimonos. The cook runs out of salmon, so he uses pickled herring.

It's not a surprise that the two leads will meet, it's only left to know how they will react to each other. The salesman character is completely enigmatic, which makes for a mysterious tone, and makes what he will do seem out of nowhere, but it fits totally with the humanity of the film.

I liked The Other Side of Hope, and it made me want to go to Helsinki, but I think I'll avoid the sushi restaurants.