The Other Side of Hope

"A must-visit destination (...) the new film could also expand that finite but passionate core audience by virtue of its topicality and its uniquely personal view of the displaced victims of Syrian warfare." 

"Aki Kaurismäki’s deadpan is one of those beautiful things that’s been refined beyond all reason over years of intense practice, eventually approaching a perfection that makes it easy to predict but impossible to deny." 

"There’s something a little too old-fashioned — too cozy and complacent — about how Aki Kaurismäki has basically concocted a liberal message movie that casts its refugee hero as a saintly victim and invites the audience to pat itself on the back for its enlightened views." 

"[If it] feels as fresh as it does, it's because of the memorable set pieces, gags (...) and grace notes that spring forth from within the confines of a familiar aesthetic template." 

"As economical in his visual style as he is with his dialogue, Kaurismaki makes the most out of having his actors do the least (...) the result is not just comic but touching as well." 

"The film is devilishly funny, economically constructed (...) and decked out in the director’s dismal palette (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"