The Match Factory Girl

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Audience Member "Match Factory Girl" is certainly a curious feature to behold; the tonal ambiguity that pervades this terse little work may frustrate some viewers while enchanting others. Kaurismaki deftly evokes the sense of an oncoming crossroads to either laughter or tears while slyly declining to clarify which path he has chosen to traverse. As a result, we watch the film's generally tragic events in a dispassionate state, ever suspecting that the film's commentary hints at underpinnings of dark comedy. While negatively portentous events lurk in the background of the film, a certain intentionally overwrought melancholy suffuses the soundtrack to the extent that we cannot grow depressed. As a whole, the film evokes the central quality of blues music, in that its sadness uplifts us through its sober wisdom and inherent empathy for us. Although minimalistic to a challenging point of extreme, "Match Factory Girl" deserves certain acknowledgment as one of Kaurismaki's most haunting and memorable works. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review dave s In Aki Kaurismaki's The Match Factory Girl, Iris is a young woman who spends her days in a factory working as a quality control officer, her evenings being either neglected or verbally abused by her parents, and her nights at the local music club waiting in vain for an offer to dance. The film is a somber and penetrating character study of a woman in the depths of despair. Virtually devoid of dialogue, Kaurismaki relies on bleak images and nicely composed shots to create the atmosphere of pure dread. In a medium so reliant on visuals, Kaurismaki understands the importance of constructing an image to create a mood or atmosphere instead of explaining it through dialogue. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member a bleak, gripping masterpiece Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member The actors deserve tremendous credit for pulling off a feature film where dialogue was on the verge of extinction! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review derek w The ultimate testament to the adage "actions speak louder than words", even if the actions evoke feelings most would rather not feel. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Aki Kaurismaki's film is as quiet as it is disquieting. Told through minimal dialogue, the film relies on Kati Outinen very descriptive performance to enlighten viewers about the title-character's plight, along with cinematic cues that are most effective in how simple they are (rarely do you find fade-outs as ominous as the one in this movie). A powerful film about misogyny and negligence. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Match Factory Girl

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