framptonhollis For quite some time, I have had an interest in Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki's body of work, but I never got around to watching it. Last night, I finally took a dive into the man;s critically acclaimed career and was left entertained and amused."The Man Without a Past" is the type of film that takes a cliché, Hollywood-type plot and twists it around to create a work of art that is unexpectedly unique. Rather than attempting to solve the mystery of the title character, Kaurismaki twists the simple plot to form a beautiful love story dipped in sadness and humor. Based on everything I have seen so far, Kaurismaki comes across as a Finnish Wes Anderson. His films are filled with deadpan humor, colorful, stylistic visuals, and the blending of tragedy and comedy. Fans of the very mainstream films of Anderson will likely adore these foreign treasures, and any fan of cinema in general should really check this comic gem out as soon as possible! It is quirky, beautiful, emotional, and hilarious.

museumofdave As I'm watching Kaurismaki's curious exploration of the human condition for the first time, I'm thinking that I don't like these folks very much--the defiantly aggressive landlord, for instance, with a dog that chews the nose off people who don't pay the rent.But the director, who begins his film with an aggressively violent act (much as happens in the Japanese film The Eel), then sets the viewer down in the new world in which his hapless protagonist ends up--slathered in bandages, passed out at the edge of an icy lake in Helsinki; first impressions give way to understanding in this sweetly humanistic film, as the hero rents a cargo container to live in, adopts the previously mentioned dog (who never once barks), teaches a Salvation Army Band some 50s rock and roll (hilarious!) and learns something about love--as we all do. What a refreshing change from the Tarantino Bloodfests we have unfortunately taken as some kind of entertainment. The Man WIthout A Past is civilized, humane entertainment, an immersion into dark humor with a benevolent edge.

leftbreak I sort of stumbled on this, actually was looking for more crime fiction movies, which this got put under somewhere. And yet, I quickly got engrossed in this movie. I think it was because it showed the joy of 'small things'. A man gets nothing in the beginning but hard luck, and yet, you see the joy and humor in his life, and in the lives around him. I immediately became a Aki Kaurismaki fan, and now can't get enough of him. But for anybody who has not seen this one, find the joy of independent film making once again.From his hotplate when cooking, to his relationship with his 'landlord' I kept finding the humor addictive, and even romance, which I'll not spoil, but just to say that love exists in poverty and despair kept giving way to music and the comfort of another human being. To think that just smoking a cigarette, one of the few small pleasures the poor had been left with during the depression, became heartwarming...

imitsi The film is about a man who gets amnesia after being attacked by a group of thugs in Helsinki. He becomes part of a community of underprivileged workers who assist him in building his life together.I can't decide whether there was something wrong with the acting or it was an accurate interpretation of Finnish mannerisms. The acting appeared a bit stiff and silent, and there wasn't a single smile throughout the film - even in situations which were meant to be funny. Having said that, there is a warmth and humanity coming out of these austere characters - just not the way we're used to. The cinematography is great, with stunning visuals of the gritty Helsinki suburbs. It is not a masterpiece, but if you are a fan of international cinema you will enjoy watching it.