Varjoja Paratiisissa (Shadows in Paradise)

Varjoja Paratiisissa (Shadows in Paradise) (1986)

  • 88% of users liked it
    (445 ratings)

In this romantic comedy, Nikander (Matti Pellonpaa) is a lonely garbage-truck driver who meets the homely check-out clerk Ilona (Kati Outinen). Their painful shyness makes for slow romantic progress, until Ilona loses her job, and the two rendezvous in a cozy country motel. Nikander proposes after… More

Unrated, 1 hr. 16 min.
Directed By
Aki Kaurismäki
Genres
Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
In Theaters
Oct 17, 1986 Wide
On DVD
Sep 23, 2008

Critic Reviews

  • Anton Bitel, Eye for Film

    Gives the stale conventions of the rom com the dark flipside they need, while downsizing that genre's normally bourgeois sensibilities into a class all its own.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Stefanie C


    Signature Kaurismaki! Beautiful composition and deadpan humor, this is not your typical rom com. If you have a penchant for stoicism and cigarettes, this film is an askew vision of Helsinki's outskirts. This debut bodes well for the remainder of the 'Proletariat… More

  • Anthony L


    The first film in Aki Kaurismäki's 'Underdog' trilogy is a brilliant example of how bounteous minimalist cinema can be. The story is simple, funny and touching without ever being over the top. This is cinema in its purest form, no nonsense, just a joy to watch. I'm… More

  • Walter M


    In "Shadows in Paradise," Nikander(Matti Pellonpaa), a garbageman who is learning English in his spare time, is approached by a co-worker(Esko Nikkari), to join the waste retrieval business he is planning on setting up. Despite having grave misgivings, Nikander agrees but… More

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