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“Thoroughly entertaining, completely unpredictable” Finnish Romantic Comedy FALLEN LEAVES opens Wednesday.

November 20, 2023 by Jordan Deglise Moore

The latest deadpan gem from living legend Aki Kaurismäki is a romantic comedy, but discard any preconceived notions about what that connotes. Fallen Leaves looks, sounds and moves audiences unlike a typical, predictable rom-com or most movies, for that matter. It’s sui generis and will almost certainly make the Oscar shortlist for Best International Film, and rightly so. The nation’s top film critics agree, declaring it one of the best movies of the year:

“Modestly scaled and tonally perfect, Fallen Leaves opens in a fluorescent hell-on-earth and ends with a vision of something like paradise.” ~ Manohla Dargis, New York Times

*

“[A] weirdly beguiling delight.” ~ Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com

“Aki Kaurismäki’s deadpan dark comedy dips with style and just a hint of weird whimsy into the lives of his working-class characters, and the tableaux he crafts give off the whiff of a Finnish spin on Hopper’s alienated figures.” ~ Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

“Fallen Leaves is, for all its intended quietness, one of the most trenchant works about modern life to emerge in cinemas, post-pandemic.” ~ David Sims, The Atlantic

“Aki Kaurismäki’s latest is deeply alert to the sensory pleasures of the world.” ~ Carson Lund, Slant Magazine

“Fallen Leaves, short, sweet and utterly delightful, is the kind of movie that’s so charming, you want to run it back the moment it’s over.” Jake Coyle, Associated Press

“Fallen Leaves is thoroughly entertaining, completely unpredictable and one of the best films I’ve seen this year.” ~ Leonard Maltin, leonardmaltin.com
*

“The key to this movie’s winning emotional delicacy is its formal sturdiness. Every shot has a specific job to do and does it well. The performances are measured and restrained.” ~ Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

“There’s life boiling under the simple surfaces, which is both Kaurismäki’s aesthetic mantra and his great theme. At their best, these quiet, cool films tear you to pieces. Fallen Leaves already feels like one of his signature works.” ~ Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture

We open the film Wednesday, November 22 at the Royal and December 1 at the Laemmle Glendale, Monica Film Center and Town Center.

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Filed Under: Featured Films, Featured Post, Films, Glendale, News, Royal, Santa Monica, Staff Pick, Theater Buzz, Town Center 5

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1970s New York City on the brink ~ DROP DEAD CITY opens tomorrow.

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‼️In-Person Q&A with Director Jerry Zucker!
📍Join Us Wednesday May 21st @ 7pm

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present a special screening of one of the best loved movies of the 20th century, Jerry Zucker’s smash hit supernatural fantasy, 'Ghost.'
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#DesertOfNamibia
Yôko Yamanaka’s second feature follows a 21-year-old Japanese woman with erratic humor as she ghosts one boyfriend after another. A beautician with little commitment to her work and no real desire to achieve anything, she burns every bridge, accumulating broken hearts in her wake. "Yuumi Kawai is immediately magnetic…Yamanaka’s work defies binaries… The film and its lead feel[s] pulsatingly alive." ~ Variety #DesertOfNamibia #WorldwideWednesdays #yokoyamanaka #yuumikawaii #山中瑶子 #河合優実
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#AllToPlayFor
Single mother Sylvie (César Award-winner Virginie Efira) lives with her two young sons, Sofiane and Jean-Jacques. One night, Sofiane is injured while alone, and child services removes him from their home. Sylvie is determined to regain custody of her son, against the full weight of the French legal system in this searing Cannes official selection.

“Virginie Efira excels [in this] gripping debut.” - Hollywood Reporter
Part of the #AnniversaryClassics Series! 🎟️ l Part of the #AnniversaryClassics Series! 🎟️ laem.ly/3EtHxsR

Join Us Wednesday May 21st @ 7pm 
In-Person Q&A with Director Jerry Zucker!

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present a special screening of one of the best loved movies of the 20th century, Jerry Zucker’s smash hit supernatural fantasy, 'Ghost.' When the movie opened in the summer of 1990, it quickly captivated audiences and eventually became the highest grossing movie of the year, earning $505 million on a budget of just $23 million.
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Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/echo-valley | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3b8JTym | Kate lives a secluded life—until her troubled daughter shows up, frightened and covered in someone else's blood. As Kate unravels the shocking truth, she learns just how far a mother will go to try to save her child

Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/echo-valley

RELEASE DATE: 6/13/2025

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ABOUT LAEMMLE: Since 1938, Laemmle [Theatres] has been showing the finest independent, arthouse, and international films.

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Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/drop-dead-city | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3b8JTym | NYC, 1975 - the greatest, grittiest city on Earth is minutes away from bankruptcy when an unlikely alliance of rookies, rivals, fixers and flexers finds common ground - and a way out. Drop Dead City is the first-ever feature documentary devoted to the NYC Fiscal Crisis of 1975, an extraordinary, overlooked episode in urban American history.

Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/drop-dead-city

RELEASE DATE: 5/23/2025
Director: Michael Rohatyn, Peter Yost

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ABOUT LAEMMLE: Since 1938, Laemmle [Theatres] has been showing the finest independent, arthouse, and international films.

Subscribe to Laemmle's E-NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/3y1YSTM
Visit Laemmle.com: http://laemmle.com
Like LAEMMLE on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/3Qspq7Z
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Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/lost-starlight | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3b8JTym | In 2050 Seoul, astronaut Nan-young’s ultimate goal is to visit Mars. But she fails the final test to onboard the fourth Mars Expedition Project. The musician Jay buries his dreams in a vintage audio equipment shop.

The two fall in love after a chance encounter. As they root for each other and dream of a new future. Nan-young is given another chance to fly to Mars, which is all she ever wanted…

“Don’t forget. Out here in space, there’s someone who’s always rooting for you

Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/lost-starlight

RELEASE DATE: 5/30/2025

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ABOUT LAEMMLE: Since 1938, Laemmle [Theatres] has been showing the finest independent, arthouse, and international films.

Subscribe to Laemmle's E-NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/3y1YSTM
Visit Laemmle.com: http://laemmle.com
Like LAEMMLE on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/3Qspq7Z
Follow LAEMMLE on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/3O6adYv
Follow LAEMMLE on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/3y2j1cp
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