922 The Other Side of Hope

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Minkin
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922 The Other Side of Hope

#1 Post by Minkin » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:35 am

The Other Side of Hope

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This wry, melancholic comedy from Aki Kaurismäki, a response to the ongoing global refugee crisis, follows two people searching for a place to call home. Khaled (Sherwan Haji), a displaced Syrian, lands in Helsinki as a stowaway; meanwhile, middle-aged Finnish salesman Wikström (Sakari Kuosmanen) leaves his wife and his job and buys a conspicuously unprofitable seafood restaurant. Khaled is denied asylum but decides not to return to Aleppo—and the paths of the two men cross fortuitously. As deadpan as the best of the director's work, and with a deep well of empathy for its down-but-not-out characters (many of them played by members of Kaurismäki's loyal stock company), The Other Side of Hope is a bittersweet tale of human kindness in the face of official indifference.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:

• New 2K digital transfer, approved by director Aki Kaurismäki, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• New interview with actor Sherwan Haji
• Footage from the 2017 Berlin Film Festival press conference for the film, featuring Kaurismäki and the film's actors
Aki and Peter, a new video essay by Daniel Raim about the friendship between Kaurismäki and film critic Peter von Bagh, to whom the film is dedicated
• Music videos
• Trailer
• PLUS: An essay by critic Girish Shambu

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#2 Post by JabbaTheSlut » Mon Mar 27, 2017 5:52 am

not in his prime anymore, unfortunately. He used to be funny, now he tries to be topical and political. Doesn't succeed. The film feels lazy both, intellectually and artistically.

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#3 Post by JabbaTheSlut » Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:10 am

Kaurismaki's new/worst film "The Other Side of Hope" coming to Criterion. Horribly self-repetitive piece of intellectual laziness.

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#4 Post by MichaelB » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:15 pm

JabbaTheSlut wrote:Kaurismaki's new/worst film "The Other Side of Hope" coming to Criterion. Horribly self-repetitive piece of intellectual laziness.
I couldn’t disagree more: it’s top five Kaurismäki for me, and I’ve seen close to his entire output.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#5 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:19 pm

JabbaTheSlut wrote:Kaurismaki's new/worst film "The Other Side of Hope" coming to Criterion. Horribly self-repetitive piece of intellectual laziness.
Most reviewers (other than Owen Gleiberman) were a lot more favorably impressed than you were. ;-)

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dda1996a
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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#6 Post by dda1996a » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:25 pm

What's the best entry point for Kaurismäki? Closest I've seen was Jarmusch's wonderful Night on Earth

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#7 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:29 pm

dda1996a wrote:What's the best entry point for Kaurismäki? Closest I've seen was Jarmusch's wonderful Night on Earth
I would say (offhand) Ariel, Drifting Clouds or Man Without a Past should all work.

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#8 Post by ianthemovie » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:52 pm

My preference is for The Match Factory Girl, personally. And it only runs 68 minutes!

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#9 Post by MichaelB » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:56 pm

Drifting Clouds is still my favourite by some distance: it's the one where everything absolutely gels, right up to one of the most perfect endings of any film in the last 25 years. I'm also very fond of Shadows in Paradise, The Man Without a Past, Le Havre and The Other Side of Hope for similar reasons - he's ploughing a decidedly familiar furrow in all of them (except Shadows, but I wasn't lucky enough to see that one brand new), but if you're on Kaurismäki's wavelength that's hardly a drawback.

Ariel was my first, and while I think it's a long way from his best I reckon it's still an excellent introduction.

The Match Factory Girl is probably too vicious for newcomers (it's certainly one of the bleakest things he ever made - although, that said, it's pretty close tonally to that Night on Earth episode), but it's one of my favourites.

I also like Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana a lot, although I think that one's probably best for people more familiar with his work.

But I could easily mention virtually everything: there's hardly anything that I actively dislike (even the much-abused Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses is more interesting now than it was then for its all too fleeting vision of Europe in transition).

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#10 Post by Fiery Angel » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:57 pm

JabbaTheSlut wrote:Kaurismaki's new/worst film "The Other Side of Hope" coming to Criterion. Horribly self-repetitive piece of intellectual laziness.
Fully agree. It's his laziest, most banal movie yet. I couldn't believe they chose it for the NYFF.

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#11 Post by dda1996a » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:58 pm

How is that Leningrad trilogy? I heard AE is putting out a Blu ray box of his films

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#12 Post by jedgeco » Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:42 pm

dda1996a wrote:How is that Leningrad trilogy? I heard AE is putting out a Blu ray box of his films
https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/AS ... /ref=nosim

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#13 Post by JabbaTheSlut » Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:41 pm

ianthemovie wrote:My preference is for The Match Factory Girl, personally. And it only runs 68 minutes!
Same here, his sharpest film. I've seen all of them also. I also like Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, Tatjana and Leningrad Cowboys. I think they're his career high points. Drifting Clouds and Man Without The Past were good films. But I felt that both his aesthetics and worldview closed permanently there. I think Le Havre and The Other Side of Hope are extremely dull films in their attempt to say something about humanity and societal and political issues. I feel that it's just simplistic ethos taken from old Chaplin films, sort of well worn, universally accepted humanism, to what everybody can nod their heads in acceptance. I think his humor has not completely lost its edge, but still most of it. It's solitary man's cinema, his world view is complete, and has been that for some time. It is not open. It would be good for him to stick to the gags and not try be some sort of drunken truth teller of cinema.

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#14 Post by Yaanu » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:32 pm

A trailer for Aki Kaurismäki's THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE has been posted to YouTube under The Criterion Collection's account.

So I guess that's coming next year.

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Re: Forthcoming: Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

#15 Post by knives » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:47 pm

I appreciate that it actually looks like it was shot on film. So many movies that make a big deal about that like Nolan's and Tarantino's look so digital nowadays presumably due to digital color timing or editing, but that honestly looks like the real deal (to the extant you can tell from a Youtube video).

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Re: The Films of 2017

#16 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Dec 14, 2017 6:48 pm

Toivon tuolla puolen / The Other Side of Hope (Aki Kaurismäki Finland, 2017)

Kaurismaki is pretty close to the top of his game with this film, which blends real world horror and deadpan (often very funny) humor. I don't see any sign of the unimaginative treading ground already covered complained of by previous commenters (in part 7 of the Criterion speculation thread). Rather, I agree with MichaelB that this is top-tier work. Yes, AK has looked at refugee problems before -- but this is fiercer in its depiction of both macro and micro cruelty towards those who need help. It looks good -- and has great music. And Kati Outinen gets a nice little cameo appearance. The principal cast is just right for what they have to do.
SpoilerShow
For those who have seen this, is the very last scene as (covertly) sad as I felt it must be

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Re: The Films of 2017

#17 Post by Black Hat » Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:48 am

Michael Kerpan wrote:Toivon tuolla puolen / The Other Side of Hope (Aki Kaurismäki Finland, 2017)

Kaurismaki is pretty close to the top of his game with this film, which blends real world horror and deadpan (often very funny) humor. I don't see any sign of the unimaginative treading ground already covered complained of by previous commenters (in part 7 of the Criterion speculation thread). Rather, I agree with MichaelB that this is top-tier work. Yes, AK has looked at refugee problems before -- but this is fiercer in its depiction of both macro and micro cruelty towards those who need help. It looks good -- and has great music. And Kati Outinen gets a nice little cameo appearance. The principal cast is just right for what they have to do.
SpoilerShow
For those who have seen this, is the very last scene as (covertly) sad as I felt it must be
I'm with both of you. There was a humanity to this film that ran the full spectrum of emotions and I completely agree about the ending. A good balance of what can be/what really is with Kaurismaki's unwavering humorous outlook on the absurdities of it all.

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922 The Other Side of Hope

#18 Post by swo17 » Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:32 pm


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DRW.mov
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Re: 922 The Other Side of Hope

#19 Post by DRW.mov » Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:50 pm

Has anyone else noticed that the Related Films on this page are copied over from Midnight Cowboy? This has to be a glitch of some kind. As someone whose seen (and loved) TOSOH I can tell you it doesn’t have all too much in common with Sunday Bloody Sunday, Straw Dogs, or My Own Private Idaho. After months of them not even bothering with updating the Explore categories on new releases, whomever the hell is in charge of their website is really phoning it in as of late.

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Lemmy Caution
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Re: 922 The Other Side of Hope

#20 Post by Lemmy Caution » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:18 pm

I was disappointed with Hope. Felt like there was a decent basic framework that was poorly sketched out.

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Re: 922 The Other Side of Hope

#21 Post by soundchaser » Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:16 pm

Lemmy Caution wrote:I was disappointed with Hope. Felt like there was a decent basic framework that was poorly sketched out.
I think it's that weird bifurcated structure that never fully gels for me. It feels distracted, especially compared to films like The Match-Factory Girl or The Man Without a Past which have such a strong through-line. And even Le Havre feels more successful to me in its treatment of the refugee crisis.

But it's got
SpoilerShow
the sushi incident
, which basically justifies the whole film.

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Clarence
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Re: 922 The Other Side of Hope

#22 Post by Clarence » Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:44 am

Blu-Ray.com. Absolutely shocked that Dr. Svet wasn't a fan of this one!

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Re: 922 The Other Side of Hope

#23 Post by DarkImbecile » Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:47 pm

Svet wrote:Aki Kaurismaki has never been an apolitical filmmaker, but in recent years he has been slowly altering the unique balance between the ultra-dry sense of humor and social satire that typically defines his work in a way that seems to be pointing to a new and permanent shift in his creative process. Indeed, until Lights in the Dusk there was always a substantially larger dose of the former, but Le Havre signaled an obvious desire to change the status quo and with The Other Side of Hope now there is clearly more of the latter. It is a change for the worse. By promoting big political causes and ultimately attempting to transform his films into relevant barometers of global socio-political trends, Kaurismaki is bound to lose the abstract flavor that made his films different and attractive. He needs to remain a cranky Finnish auteur who does not give a damn about the global 'voices of reason' because he is at his very best when he is brazenly witty and funny, not when he attempts to defend a political cause.
...
Aki Kaurismaki's latest film, The Other Side of Hope, is as transparent and politically correct as the hundreds of films that Soviet directors made during the Cold War era to defend all sorts of different political causes. This is very unfortunate. I am a big admirer of the Finnish director but I find the recent politicization of his work to be very disappointing. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from the same master that last year Curzon/Artificial Eye worked with to produce their local release in the United Kingdom, but has a superior selection of supplemental features.
Agreed. What kind of asshole unnecessarily infuses politics into his work over and over again?

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Re: 922 The Other Side of Hope

#24 Post by cdnchris » Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:58 pm

DarkImbecile wrote:Agreed. What kind of asshole unnecessarily infuses politics I disagree with into his work over and over again?
Fixed.

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Re: 922 The Other Side of Hope

#25 Post by oldsheperd » Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:02 pm

DarkImbecile wrote:
Svet wrote:Aki Kaurismaki has never been an apolitical filmmaker, but in recent years he has been slowly altering the unique balance between the ultra-dry sense of humor and social satire that typically defines his work in a way that seems to be pointing to a new and permanent shift in his creative process. Indeed, until Lights in the Dusk there was always a substantially larger dose of the former, but Le Havre signaled an obvious desire to change the status quo and with The Other Side of Hope now there is clearly more of the latter. It is a change for the worse. By promoting big political causes and ultimately attempting to transform his films into relevant barometers of global socio-political trends, Kaurismaki is bound to lose the abstract flavor that made his films different and attractive. He needs to remain a cranky Finnish auteur who does not give a damn about the global 'voices of reason' because he is at his very best when he is brazenly witty and funny, not when he attempts to defend a political cause.
...
Aki Kaurismaki's latest film, The Other Side of Hope, is as transparent and politically correct as the hundreds of films that Soviet directors made during the Cold War era to defend all sorts of different political causes. This is very unfortunate. I am a big admirer of the Finnish director but I find the recent politicization of his work to be very disappointing. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from the same master that last year Curzon/Artificial Eye worked with to produce their local release in the United Kingdom, but has a superior selection of supplemental features.
Agreed. What kind of asshole unnecessarily infuses politics into his work over and over again?
MAGA!

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