Kaurismaki's Total Balalaika Show

[Johann]

I had the great priviledge to see Aki Kaurismaki's 1993 concert of The Leningrad Cowboys and the Alexandrov Red Army Chorus last night @ the Cinematheque.

What can I say? They did covers of

The Turtles' Happy Together
Bob Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Tom Jones' Delilah
Sknyrd's Sweet Home Alabama (among others)
and the best "Those Were The Days" I've ever heard.
I have to reconsider The Last Waltz as the greatest concert film.

Shit was this entertaining! The pompadours! The boots!

This film was shown with 4 Aki shorts:
Rocky VI
Thru The Wire (Freedom)
These Boots (yes, they cover Nancy Sinatra)
Those Were The Days

They all slayed me, and I have a new soft spot for the Finnish film geek. Great stuff, and I welcome any dialogue on the hilariously genius Kaurismaki. (I missed the retrospective currently showing, but I will see the rest on the weekend)

[oscar jubis]

Now here's where I get pissed off. Mr. Kaurismaki probably belongs in the list of today's most accomplished directors in the world. But I don't have much to go on. I've been exposed to a few of his movies, including this year's fine Man Without a Past. But THE MAN decided not to distribute and exhibit his best films(according to popular vote and reviews from critics) in N. America. I've never seen Calamari Union, Drifting Clouds, Ariel or The Match Factory Girl.
Kaurismaki is not the only European pantheon director that gets the shaft. I've been reading comments from film geeks and critics about Bela Tarr, from Hungary, being as good as the old masters. I wish I could form an opinion myself.

[Johann]

Indeed- I had never heard of the Balalaika show. It knocked me out. There are a lot of Aki fans out there who have to search high and low for his films.

Thank god I live in Vancouver now. They are currently showing a retrospective of Kaurismaki that encompasses his WHOLE canon.

I'm seeing The Match Factory Girl, Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana and I Hired a Contract Killer (his first english film) tonight.(It's a spoof on the French New Wave!) A triple feature from heaven...

I saw Drifting Clouds last night oscar. (Between my volunteer shift at the PC) Incredibly sublime. It stars Kati Outinen who was in The Man Without A Past which she won Best Actress at Cannes for... I didn't see "The Man", but I know it is stunning.
Drifting Clouds is pure humanist poetry.

Film Comment recently ran a piece by Jon Romney who said "there is no longer any excuse for not taking Aki Kaurismaki seriously" I wholeheartedly agree.``

[Johann]

I hate to provoke jealousy in my film comrades, but I must tell you, Oscar, that in I Hired a Contract Killer Joe Strummer makes an appearance and contributes to the soundtrack.

It also stars the boy from Truffaut's The 400 Blows: J. Leaud.

go to www.cinematheque.bc.ca for more info...

[Johann]

Myself and two friends went to the cinematheque last night.
We saw "The Match Factory Girl"- took a break to "self-medicate", and ended up missing "Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana" due to inspired conversation of the episode of the "proletarian trilogy" we had just witnessed.

Kaurismaki is a living breathing genius.

Kati Outinen, Kati Outinen, Kati Outinen. She goes through hell in this movie. Her parents are sociopathic, she has her hopes and dreams dashed at every turn, and she finds love only to be thrown back into hell.

Until...she decides to poison everyone who caused her grief. Then it becomes a Strangelove-type of black comedy that will have you shaking your head.

That's The Match Factory Girl. Try to track it down. You will love it if you love dry irony and really dark humour.

As we missed "Tatjana", we made sure we didn't miss "I Hired a Contract Killer". This was one of the best films ever made and eclipses "TMFG" just on sheer amplification of melancholy. Jean-Pierre Leaud (who was Antoine in the 400 Blows) does what he does best- act in scene after scene of pure poignancy.

He loses his job.
He gets a gold watch for 15 years of loyal service (that doesn't even work!)
He decides to kill himself.
He goes to the hardware store and buys a hook and a length of rope. He tries to do the deed, but the hook breaks and he crumples to the floor. He decides he can't do it himself.

So he hires a "contract killer". (The manner in which he seeks this service is absolutely genius). He shows a picture to the hitman of the guy he's paying to be "hit". (himself). Payment. Great, the job will be completed within 2 weeks.

What happens next?

He falls in love and realizes that he cannot so easily stop the hit on his life. HILARIOUS!

See it and have a life-altering epiphany at the movies. We couldn't shut up about this flick after it was over. we hit a coffee shop and chatted for hours. Brilliant Kaurismaki...

Joe Strummer sings a song in a scene that is perfect for this film, btw.

[oscar jubis]

Thanks Johann for the links and comments regarding the films directed by Kaurismaki. Amazed that you remembered that I am a big admirer of Joe Strummer R.I.P. as an artist and as a human being. The only copy of the vhs release of Match Factory Girl I found is an ex-rental for over $60. My hope is that the MFG/Contract Killer pal vhs released in the UK will eventually come out on pal dvd, which my malata player can handle.
I am impressed with the programming at the Cinematheque. I'd love to attend the series on Czech cinema. They have some excellent titles from this small country with strong artistic undercurrents. Cristi and I had a blast in Prague two summers ago. Czechs have a special appreciation for the surreal and avant-garde. I recommend rental of the feminist,experimental and anti-communist Daisies(1968) now available in region 1 dvd. Also recommended is the western parody Lemonady Joe. A hoot.

[Johann]

Another triple feature last night with my same two bohemian friends. How could we miss these films?

Take Care of your Scarf, Tatjana (the film we missed last night)
was showing again (first) and it was as great as we anticipated.

2 greasy guys hook up with a buxom lass and her friend. They drive to Estonia in a 50's style car, are not compatible in any way, and it's absolutely outrageous how love blossoms between these 4 souls.

The moments of silence are so tortuous! You know those moments when there is nothing to say and everyone is aware? This film is 65 mins. of that.

God, the scene when the greasers drop the "ladies" off...

Then it was Stranger in Paradise again with Kati Outinen. She works in a supermarket as a clerk.
She gets fired.
She steals the store's cash box.
She approaches her garbageman (who tried to date her) to drive away from town.

Madness ensues. Melancholy madness.
I won't say any more about it.

Drifting Clouds played again, but I had to leave midway thru to get enough sleep for my morning meeting.

Speaking of the Cinematheque's programming, Oscar did you notice the event happening in Dec?
Murnau's masterpiece silent SUNRISE: A Song of Two Humans is being screened- 4 times. Voted one of the 10 best films of all-time by the Sight and Sound poll...
Great way to end 2003.