More like Falling Asleep.

Directed by Finnish filmmaker, Aki Kaurismäki, Fallen Leaves tells the story of Ansa (Alma Pöysti) who works in a supermarket and resents her job, and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), an alcoholic, whose paths have accidentally crossed. Despite their differences, they try to leverage a relationship.

Fallen Leaves is brutally awkward. Though not comedically. The intentional absence of the characters’ emotions, paired with no talking, slowly walking and staring absently into the camera is apparently what guarantees you a solid spot this awards season. While there are amazing shots of windows and walls, the biggest question to land is “Where is the story?”…

It’s a tough watch – and it doesn’t get easier, nor does it get better with time. The withdrawn dialogue especially is excruciating to watch. There’s not an ounce of emotion, and it’s not even deadpan! Not to mention throwing away perfectly good food at the end of the day; these characters are asking to be loathed. You simply couldn’t care less what is happening in front of your eyes; it’s a complete emotional disconnect. Nothing in the film sets up the characters to make you care, or feel intrigued at the slightest, so you’re left with a film that looks pretty but is just pretty boring.

It’s hard to comment on the performances when the roles don’t require much ‘acting’ at all. It’s apparent the goal was to create wannabe Wes Anderson characters, but the end result wasn’t anything short of below average. If being able to stand silent for long periods at a time and stare into the distance counts as acting points, then bravo!

Apparently, people devoid of emotion or personality deserve love stories too. But, Fallen Leaves is not a film experience you want to put yourself through. It’s dull, depthless and depressing. The narrative may as well have been buried under one of those piles of fallen leaves; the title is well-deserved after all.