The Other Side Of Hope review: Aki Kaurismaki delves into the subject matter of the Syrian refugee crisis, and erm, the restaurant business, in this extremely funny new comedy drama.
The Other Side Of Hope review by Paul Heath at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival.
The Other Side Of Hope review
Aki Kaurismaki’s latest tells two very different stories which eventually converge around half way through this interesting comedy/ drama. The first involves a Syrian refugee named Khaled (Sherwan Haji), a stowaway on a coal freighter who arrives in Finland after falling asleep while seeking refuge on the boat in Poland. Upon arrival, he immediately applies for asylum in Helsinki. Meanwhile, across town Wikstrom (Sakari Kuosmanen) is a shirt and tie salesman at the end of his tether who decides to change his career. After a successful game of stud poker, where he wins a large sum of money, Wikstrom buys himself a shabby restaurant in a corner of town and attempts to revive its poor trade, though decides to keep on the three hapless employees who still work there.
Khaled meanwhile has had his application for asylum refused, so he breaks loose as the authorities attempt to deport him back to Aleppo. He takes shelter in the back yard of Wikstrom’s new establishment and the new owner quickly takes him on by giving him a job cleaning, and a better place to stay.
The Other Side Of Hope review
Shot on glorious 35mm, which gives the film a unique, distinctive look in an age of pristine digital projection, Kaurismaki’s film is both heartfelt and exceptionally funny, and it went down a storm in terms of reaction at the Berlin Film Festival, where it plays in-competition, the director’s first to do so despite his consistent appearances in the Forum sub-section. It’s group of actors, particularly the two at the centre of the story in Sherwan Haji and Sakari Kuosmanen, provide realistic, pragmatic performances full of heart and they are a joy to watch in every scene.
The Other Side Of Hope review
It’s a film that doesn’t look particularly attractive, but its political, racial and social undertones, along with a profoundly personal account of the crisis in Syria through the eyes of Haji’s Khaled make this engrossing throughout. The character of Khaled not only has the threat of being deported, but must also deal with constant racism, both from the police and citizens on the streets of Helsinki.
The film deals with thing very serious subject matter and darker themes, but make no mistake, this is very much a comedy and it is hilarious all the way through. It’s bags of fun, which largely comes from Kaurismaki’s superb writing style, combined with clever editing, and the spot on visual performances of his actors. Whether it plays as well in the UK away from mainland Europe remains to be seen, but it’s certainly worth catching this second instalment in the talented Kaurismaki’s planned ‘harbour trilogy’.
The Other Side Of Hope review by Paul Heath, February 2017.
The Other Side Of Hope plays in-competition at this years Berlin Film Festival.
