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Shadows in Paradise

1986-10-17 Comedy 1hr 14m

Nikander, a rubbish collector and would-be entrepreneur, finds his plans for success dashed when his business associate dies. One evening, he meets Ilona, a down-on-her-luck cashier, in a local supermarket. Falteringly, a bond begins to develop between them.

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Shadows in Paradise
Criterion Channel

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Storyline

Nikander, a rubbish collector and would-be entrepreneur, finds his plans for success dashed when his business associate dies. One evening, he meets Ilona, a down-on-her-luck cashier, in a local supermarket. Falteringly, a bond begins to develop between them.

  • Released
    1986-10-17
  • Revenue
    n/a
  • Budget
    n/a
  • Runtime
    1hr 14m
  • Genre
    Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    suomi, English, svenska
  • imdb-logo
    7.5
  • Production
    Villealfa Filmproductions

Crew

Aki Kaurismäki
Director
Aki Kaurismäki
Writer
Mika Kaurismäki
Producer
Keywords:
helsinki, finland salesclerk garbage

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Cast

Matti Pellonpää

Matti Pellonpää
Nikander
Kati Outinen

Kati Outinen
Ilona
Sakari Kuosmanen

Sakari Kuosmanen
Melartin
Esko Nikkari

Esko Nikkari
Nikander's Co-Worker
Kylli Köngäs

Kylli Köngäs
Ilona's Friend
Pekka Laiho

Pekka Laiho
Store Manager
Jukka-Pekka Palo

Jukka-Pekka Palo
Third Man
Svante Korkiakoski

Svante Korkiakoski
Police Officer
Mari Rantasila

Mari Rantasila
Nikander's Sister
Safka Pekkonen

Safka Pekkonen
Pianist
Antti Ortamo

Antti Ortamo
2nd Pianist
Mato Valtonen

Mato Valtonen
Pelle
Sakke Järvenpää

Sakke Järvenpää
Staffan
Ulla Kuosmanen

Ulla Kuosmanen
Melartin's Wife
Neka Haapanen

Neka Haapanen
Cook
Pentti Koski

Pentti Koski
Singer
Ari Korhonen

Ari Korhonen
Man in Restaurant
Teuvo Rissanen

Teuvo Rissanen
Police Officer
Erkki Rissanen

Erkki Rissanen
Porter
Sirkka Silin

Sirkka Silin
Woman in Restaurant
Marina Martinoff

Marina Martinoff
Hostess
Jussi Tiitinen

Jussi Tiitinen
Garbage Man / Bartender
Riikka Kuosmanen

Riikka Kuosmanen
Melartin's Daughter
Eskil Mansikka

Eskil Mansikka
Keyboardist (uncredited)
Jaakko Talaskivi

Jaakko Talaskivi
Guard (uncredited)
Haije Alanoja

Haije Alanoja
Woman in Restaurant (uncredited)
Bertta Pellonpää

Bertta Pellonpää
Bingo Player (uncredited)
Helmeri Pellonpää

Helmeri Pellonpää
Bingo Player (uncredited)
Malla Hukkanen

Malla Hukkanen
Woman in Restaurant (uncredited)
Aki Kaurismäki

Aki Kaurismäki
Hotel Receptionist (uncredited)
Olli Varja

Olli Varja
Customer (uncredited)
Tanja Talaskivi

Tanja Talaskivi
Woman in Cinema (uncredited)
Jukka Mäkinen

Jukka Mäkinen
Garbage Man (uncredited)

Videos and Photos

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Movie Reviews

Reviews for Shadows in Paradise
reviewer avatar

A Review by CRCulver 7

Written by CRCulver on 2018-09-06

Released in 1986, Aki Kaurismaki's <i>Varjoja paratiisissa</i> (Shadows in Paradise) is one of the Finnish filmmaker's earliest efforts, and... read more

Released in 1986, Aki Kaurismaki's <i>Varjoja paratiisissa</i> (Shadows in Paradise) is one of the Finnish filmmaker's earliest efforts, and it stands as one of the most idiosyncratic romantic comedies of all time. The painfully shy Nikander (Matti Pellonpää), a garbage man, means the moody Ilona, a supermarket checkout girl. The film tracks their bumbling attempt to establish a lasting relationship: dates that end as soon as they've begun, a romantic getaway where they each retreat to separate hotel rooms, and rare conversations which employ the absolute bare minimum of words. Nikander's best and only friend Melartin (Sakari Kuosmanen), whom the garbage man only recently met through a spell in jail, gives some needed encouragement. The film's soundtrack is rooted in early rock-and-roll, though unlike later Kaurismaki films where the characters seem to be living in a 1950s bubble, all the action takes place in contemporary Helsinki. I've criticized Kaurismaki's vision of Finland in other films, but <i>Varjoja paratiisissa</i> does, in my opinion, accurately depict the collection of gloomy, taciturn binge drinkers that are the Finns. <i>Varjoja paratiisissa</i> is an early work and doesn't show the confidence of later efforts, but it's still quite entertaining, its leads and their struggles extremely charming, and I would recommend the film. Certainly the performances of Pellonpää (in a typical Pellonpää role) and Outinen (who seemingly reinvents herself in every film) will prove quite memorable.

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by CRCulver

Released in 1986, Aki Kaurismaki's <i>Varjoja paratiisissa</i> (Shadows in Paradise) is one of the Finnish filmmaker's earliest efforts, and it stands as one of the most idiosyncratic romantic comedies of all time. The painfully shy Nikande...

reviewer avatar

A Review by CRCulver 7

Written by CRCulver on 2018-09-06

Released in 1986, Aki Kaurismaki's <i>Varjoja paratiisissa</i> (Shadows in Paradise) is one of the Finnish filmmaker's earliest efforts, and it stands as one of the most idiosyncratic romantic comedie...

read more