"What do I owe you?""If you see me face down in the gutter, turn me on to my back"
Cinemas
Directed by Aki Kaurismäki
The Man Without a Past
Mies vailla menneisyyttä
An acclaimed, atmospheric comedy.
Comedy
Drama
Romance
2002
1h 37m
Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.
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Cast & crew
6What people say
love when markku tells kati he would walk her home at night because “the streets are mean” and she’s like no it’s fine and he’s like no i mean i’m the one afraid of the dark35mm. Metrograph.
Aki Kaurismäki's brand of quirky, icy Scandinavian comedy is always charming, if not groundbreaking. Once you get used to Aki's setting of lonely, robotic people learning human emotion through harmless turmoils, the fun is there to stay.In The Man Without a Past, Kaurismäki created another one of his modern fairy tale landscapes, where the best of humanity always trumps and evil is always defeated. A man who has lost his memory is put back on his feet by the kindness of strangers, and a hilarious yet heartwarming journey goes from there. It's difficult to gauge if this is Kaurismäki's career-best, but this indeed provides dry humor, great music (Paha Vaanii is my favorite), and memorable characters including an important dog character, and the retro visuals are consistently gorgeous and unapologetically Aki. Recommended.
Common questions
What is The Man Without a Past about?+
A man arriving in Helsinki is severely beaten and loses his memory, leading him to start a new life with the help of a resilient community of social outcasts.
Who directed The Man Without a Past?+
Aki Kaurismäki directed the film in 2002, a Finnish filmmaker celebrated for his minimalist style and deadpan humor.
Has The Man Without a Past won any awards?+
Yes, the film won the Grand Prix at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, where Kati Outinen also received the award for Best Actress.
