Lights in the Dusk

2007

Lights in the Dusk

Critics Consensus

From its brilliant cinematography to its compassionate characters, Lights in the Dusk is another successful exercise in deadpan minimalist comedy from Aki Kaurismäki.

69%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 42

72%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 4,428
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Lights in the Dusk Photos

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Movie Info

"Lights in the Dusk" concludes the trilogy began by "Drifting Clouds" and "The Man Without a Past". Where the trilogy`s first film was about unemployment and the second about homelessness, this final installment is about loneliness. Koistinen searches the hard world for a small crack to crawl in through, but both his fellow beings and the faceless apparatus of the society conspire to crush his modest hopes, one after another. Criminal elements exploit his longing for love and his position as a night watchman in a robbery they pull off, leaving Koistinen to face the consequences. Thus Koistinen is deprived of his job, his freedom, and his dreams. A poignant reminder of the lot of the emotional `have-nots` in our world, this dark jewel of a film glows with genuine warmth and a small but enriching glimmer of hope.
  • Rating:
    NR
  • Genre:
    Art House & International, Drama
  • Directed By:
    Aki Kaurismäki
  • Written By:
    Aki Kaurismäki
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Strand Releasing

Cast

Janne Hyytainen
Janne Hyytiäinen
as Koistinen
Maria Järvenhelmi
as Mirja
Maria Heiskanen
as Aila
Ilkka Koivula
as Lindholm
Matti Onnismaa
as Shift Manager
Sulevi Peltola
as Foreman
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Critic Reviews for Lights in the Dusk

All Critics (42) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (13)

  • Quote not available.

    November 18, 2011 | Rating: 2/5

    David Fear

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • Quote not available.

    November 17, 2011 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Hank Sartin

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • Kaurismaki creates some beautiful frames, carefully composing his affectless characters against the rooms' colors, but there's something wrong with your story when people are upstaged by the decor.

    October 16, 2007 | Full Review…

    J. R. Jones

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • It's a deceptively satisfying, almost magical achievement, like being stranded in a desert yet never going thirsty.

    September 21, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Wesley Morris

    Boston Globe
    Top Critic

  • Kaurismäki is self-consciously tapping into the raw pathos of an earlier time in cinema (the pain and loss that often accompanied Charles Chaplin's Little Tramp, for example). The idea works, though it is finally wearing.

    August 3, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4

    Tom Keogh

    Seattle Times
    Top Critic

  • The director's existential sarcasm is muted here.

    July 23, 2007 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Bill Stamets

    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (42)

Audience Reviews for Lights in the Dusk

  • Dec 06, 2011
    Aki Kaurismaki has a unique style that mixed dry humor and tragedy. The non-acting is often confusing but always used effectively. This one is no exception. Not everyone will enjoy it, but it's really pretty good.
    Hugo S Super Reviewer
  • Oct 31, 2010
    An ironic, existential portrait of loneliness. From the start, Koistinen is painfully out of sync with his environment and ostracized by almost every person he encounters. The tight, lingering frame compositions, remarkably open and suggestive, emphasize this discordant, askew vision. Amidst this bleakness, hope triumphs in the final, life-affirming shot. A positive end to Kaurismaki's Loser Trilogy.
    Stefanie C Super Reviewer
  • Oct 15, 2008
    [font=Century Gothic]Written and directed by Aki Kaurismaki in a deadpan style, "Lights in the Dusk" is about lonely Koistinen(Janne Hyytiainen), who has worked as a security guard for the past three years. Despite having neither experience or money, he wants to open his own security firm. One day, into his life walks blonde Mirja(Maria Jarvenhelmi) and they go out on a date. He falls for her but has no idea of her ulterior motive. Nor does he question the possibility that she is quite frankly out of his league.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Considering "Lights in the Dusk" is centered around a heist, it should come as no surprise that none of the characters see working for a living as anything remotely honorable. Mirja is employed by Lindholm(Ilkka Koivula), a gangster, who looks down his nose at Koistenen while using him to get the security codes for a shopping mall that he regularly patrols. Mirja is torn but fears having to actually work in a regular job too much to stop.[/font]
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Jun 10, 2007
    A night-watchman with a simple, lonely life is framed by mobsters.
    Ross C Super Reviewer
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