Arvottomat (1982)

Director:

Mika Kaurismäki

Writers:

Aki Kaurismäki (dialogue)
Aki Kaurismäki (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 October 1982 (Finland)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A criminal, his friend and his former girlfriend find their lives intertwining with each other. |

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | Outsider | Road Movie | Paris France

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Matti Pellonpää	...	Manne
Pirkko Hämäläinen	...	Veera
Juuso Hirvikangas	...	Harri
Esko Nikkari	...	Hagström
Jorma Markkula	...	Mitja
Asmo Hurula	...	Väyry
Aki Kaurismäki	...	Ville Alfa
Ari Piispa	...	Vasili
Aino Seppo	...	Tiina
Veikko Aaltonen	...	Juippi
Elina Kivihalme	...	Anna-Kaarina
Pentti Lahti	...	Sax Player
Pentti Auer	...	Boss
Aarre Karén	...	1# Poolshark
Kauko Laurikainen	...	2# Poolshark

Also Known As:

De arvlösa (Finland: Swedish title)
The Worthless (International: English title)

Runtime:

Finland:119 min (original) | USA:105 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (1995) | Finland:K-16 (1982) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Villealfa Filmproduction Oy

Quotes:

Harri: [after being beaten up Manne places a loosen tooth in his car's ahtray] So you put the tooth in there.
Manne: So I did.
Harri: Odd bargaining... It is not my business at all, but...
Manne: [interrupts] Just a moment of silence to honour it, please!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Strada: (2009-05-08)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Erottamattomat

Work of the young Geniuses

As the first longer film by the Kaurismaki brothers, this film establishes the subtle, minimalistic and yet intellectual dialogue set in the unlikely backdrop of lower middle-class crime drama. The "Time rushes like a moose" -type of line said in a monotone voice is the stuff that the brothers became known for, and they use the dialogue deliciously. While the dialogue is already in place, the pace is a lot faster than in the future films - or maybe it is because of Mika's directing. But the basic Kaurismaki themes of lower middle-class honor, independence and friendship are there. Due to its faster pace (Kaurismaki films are usually criticized for being too slow), witty dialogue and certainly unusual theme of Finnish unorganized crime (outside Finland, at least), I hope that this film will be picked up by some independent film channels. This movie is actually entertaining! It really deserves wider exposure. Another point worth mentioning is the soundtrack. The movie has some Finnish rock classics from the 70's - it's definitely worth checking out if you get a chance.