Mies vailla menneisyyttä (2002)

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writer:

Aki Kaurismäki (written by)

Release Date:

23 August 2002 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Music | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

The second part of Aki Kaurismäki's "Finland" trilogy, the film follows a man who arrives in Helsinki...

Plot Keywords:

Amnesia | Music Manager | Blood | Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship | Franklin D. Roosevelt

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 20 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Markku Peltola	...	M
Kati Outinen	...	Irma
Juhani Niemelä	...	Nieminen
Kaija Pakarinen	...	Kaisa Nieminen
Sakari Kuosmanen	...	Anttila
Annikki Tähti	...	Manager of Flea Market
Anneli Sauli	...	Bar Owner
Elina Salo	...	Dock Clerk
Outi Mäenpää	...	Bank Clerk
Esko Nikkari	...	Bank Robber
Pertti Sveholm	...	Police Detective
Matti Wuori	...	Layer
Aino Seppo	...	Ex-wife
Janne Hyytiäinen	...	Ovaskainen
Antti Reini	...	Electrician

Also Known As:

Der Mann ohne Vergangenheit (Germany)
Irtolainen (Finland) (working title)
L'homme sans passé (France)
The Man Without a Past (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Finland | Germany | France

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | Hungary:14 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Italy:T | Singapore:PG | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Bavaria Film

Trivia:

This film won the London Evening Standard's "Palm Dog" award at the Cannes Film Festival for the best animal role. The winning dog's name, aptly, is Tähti ("Star" in Finnish).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Helsinki railway station's extension roof is clearly visible at the opening scene, but it hadn't been build yet in 1996 (the year can be read from the newspaper).

Quotes:

M: I went to the moon yesterday.
Irma: I see. How was it?
M: Peaceful.
Irma: Meet anyone?
M: Not really; it was a Sunday.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Lokki

Unique & Fun, Start-To-Finnish

I've watched this twice now, and throughly enjoyed both viewings, finding this film to really be a unique one. It's a Finnish film, which is unusual to start with, at least here in the U.S. because we don't see too many films from Finland. It's a black comedy, meaning deadpan looks with subtle comedic lines. In English, it's titled "The Man Without A Past."

The main actor, Markuu Peltola, is perfect for this movie with one of the most deadpan faces you'll ever see. He is amazing to watch and Kati Outinen, as his love interest, is similarly strange and fascinating. Part of their charm are their unusual looks. This is not a romance between people who look like your normal handsome film stars.

Simply, this is just something very different from anything you've seen, a combination of drama, comedy and romance with some of the strangest dialog I've ever heard on film. If you appreciate dry humor and a bizarre but touching story, you should see this.