It's hard to believe there's much left for directors to say about loneliness and alienation in films by now. But, perhaps thanks to its Finnish accent, Aki Kaurismaki's "Lights in the Dusk," which screens this week at UWM's Union Theatre, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., is a compelling film.

Koistenen is a sad sack security guard who draws taunts from his fellow workers, is desperate for love and appears to have no friends (except for the woman who runs the chipper van) and few prospects for improving his dull, emotionally barren life.

He lives in modern Finland, a thriving place, which the director likes to point out via scene-setting shots amid modern skyscrapers and new-looking housing developments. But Koistenen isn't reaping much in the way of financial or social benefits. However, despite his bare bones existence, he still dreams of starting his own business and talks about turning his life around.

But a local gangster has other ideas and uses a femme fatale as bait to pull of a theft and frame Koistenen for it. Just when things couldn't seem to get worse for our poor hero, they do. But how bad will things have to get for Koistenen to finally say "uncle?"

Although wrapped in a depressing cloak, "Lights in the Dusk" is a hopeful film.

It plays Friday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. On the same nights (at 7 p.m. Friday, at 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday) is "I Don't Want to Sleep Alone," the new feature film from Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-Liang.

Admission is $5, $4 for students.