The director's seamless politics and rock 'n' roll style have been evolved in the past decade, and The Other Side of Hope feels like a crystallization of sorts. It finds the perfect harmony between off-kilter strangeness and essential acts of humanity.
If you're a fan of Kaurismäki, you're already there. If you're a newbie and curious, this is a perfect opportunity to dip your toe in, as it's representative of his finest work.
The guiding ethic of The Other Side of Hope is as much topical as it universal: that altruism is not especially brave or courageous, but just the basic principle governing relations between human beings.
Finnish films have been generating buzz lately. "Tom of Finland" and "The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki" have found a small, if enthusiastic, audience...Aki Kaurismäki's charmingly deadpan "The Other Side of Hope" should follow a similar path.
