Lights in the Dusk, the final part of Aki Kaurismäki’s trilogy of films meditating on loneliness, follows the downfall of Koistinen (Janne Hyytiäinen), a reserved night watchman drawn into a nightmare of deception and cruelty at odds with his old fashioned sense of morality.
Outcast by his co-workers and living alone, the solitary Koistinen meets femme fatale Mirja (Maria Järvenhelmi) in a bar and finds his position, loneliness and yearning exploited by Helsinki’s criminal elements.
Kaurismäki’s compassionate film maintains its bittersweet tone with well judged performances, superb cinematography and dark humour.
