Synopsis
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989) is Aki Kaurismäki's deadpan road comedy — watch it online on iFILM. A troupe of Siberian musicians with gravity-defying pompadours and shoes that curl up at the toe lands in the United States with no bookings and no contacts. Their manager is convinced America will love them. America is not convinced.
They drive the length of the country chasing a wedding gig at the Mexican border, their only real shot at a paycheck. A village idiot from back home trails the convoy the whole way, determined to join. Along the road they cover rock-and-roll standards — Creedence, The Beatles, Steppenwolf, Elvis — with the expressions of men attending a funeral.
Kaurismäki keeps the comedy entirely in the gap between how seriously everyone takes themselves and how completely absurd the situation is. Jim Jarmusch shows up for a cameo, which feels about right. The band is played by Finnish group Sleepy Sleepers, who liked the role so much they renamed themselves the Leningrad Cowboys after the film came out. Stream Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989) on iFILM.
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