Review of The Match Factory Girl (1990) by Visitorq S — 11 May 2010

In "The Match Factory Girl," Iris(Kari Outinen) works all day in a factory and comes home at night to tend to her parents(Elina Salo & Esko Nikkari) in a cramped apartment. So, she figures she deserves a little fun in return but nobody takes notice of her at a dance. Her parents react in shock when she has the nerve to buy a new dress with her own money and demand she return it. She does not. In fact, Iris wears it to a bar where she winds up meeting the wealthy Aarne(Vesa Vierikko) and they spend the night together.

"The Match Factory Girl" is proof that Aki Kaurismaki does not make the same movie over and over again, as this is more dead serious than deadpan. There is very little humor and minimal dialogue which makes it perfect for watching on a bus. Even the television news is pessimistic, full of death and destruction(pretty much everything except for the Bay Area Earthquake) with a little resistance thrown in. Even Iris' job at a factory that makes matchsticks which are primarily used in smoking cigarettes has ominous overtones. Iris is too good of a person for such a cruel world, serving others and expecting the best from the world in return, and eventually suffers for it, before the movie takes a huge risk in removing any sympathy from her.