Bleakness may define the atmosphere, but surprise is an essential element of this Finnish master's approach as well. Kati Outinen (The Match Factory Girl) is a maître d' in an outdated restaurant in Helsinki until both she and her tram driver husband lose their jobs thanks to corporate downsizing. The outside world feels as cold, blue, and closed up as the characters' emotions. But what saves the film from pushing us too far over the edge is Kaurismä;ki's genuine sense of (and love for) the absurd-everyone drives huge American cars, for instance-and honest glimmers of hope on the horizon. In fact, the balance of tragedy, comedy, and unadorned human beauty is what makes Drifting Clouds Kaurismä;ki's most complex and engaging film in years.-Kurt Wolff