The second part of Aki Kaurismäki's "Finland" trilogy, the film follows a man who arrives in Helsinki and gets beaten up so severely he develops amnesia. Unable to remember his name or ...
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After fifteen years' service, Henri Boulanger is made redundant from his job. Shocked, he attempts suicide, but can't go through with it, so he hires a contract killer in a seedy bar to ... See full summary »
Lugubrious Finns Valto and Reino take to the road in search of coffee and vodka, without which their lives are not worth living. But their reveries are interrupted by the arrival of ... See full summary »
Director:
Aki Kaurismäki
Stars:
Kati Outinen,
Matti Pellonpää,
Kirsi Tykkyläinen
The second part of Aki Kaurismäki's "Finland" trilogy, the film follows a man who arrives in Helsinki and gets beaten up so severely he develops amnesia. Unable to remember his name or anything from his past life, he cannot get a job or an apartment, so he starts living on the outskirts of the city and slowly starts putting his life back on track.Written by
Jussi Tarvainen <jussi_tarvainen_84@hotmail.com>
The second part of Aki Kaurismäki's "Finland" trilogy, following Drifting Clouds (1996). See more »
Goofs
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). See more »
Quotes
Nieminen:
You've got worker hands. You must have used these hands; you don't look like a reader.
M:
Thank you.
Nieminen:
You're welcome.
See more »
Do The Shake
Performed by The Renegades
Music & Lyrics by Brown / Gibson / Johnson / Mallett
Published by Warner / Chappell Music Finland
(P) 1964 Scandia / Warner Music Finland
Licensed courtesy of Warner Music Finland See more »
Having spent time working and living in Finland, I absolutely loved the film. Not only the visuals, the Helsinki waterfront, but moreso, the special warmth of Finnish culture and people. The way the men related to each other, for example, was amazingly clever in its capture (and parody) of male-male relationships. Man-woman was just was wonderful, with the long-suffering women and the helpless men (this is of course universal, not just Finnish, which makes the film fully human). The bank employee was fantastic; I saw "her" when I opened an account in a city north of Helsinki! No, it wasn't the stereotypes, but the rich cultural images that were NOT "Hollywooded" up or forced American fare. It's a real film, and I am glad I saw it. Kiitos!
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Having spent time working and living in Finland, I absolutely loved the film. Not only the visuals, the Helsinki waterfront, but moreso, the special warmth of Finnish culture and people. The way the men related to each other, for example, was amazingly clever in its capture (and parody) of male-male relationships. Man-woman was just was wonderful, with the long-suffering women and the helpless men (this is of course universal, not just Finnish, which makes the film fully human). The bank employee was fantastic; I saw "her" when I opened an account in a city north of Helsinki! No, it wasn't the stereotypes, but the rich cultural images that were NOT "Hollywooded" up or forced American fare. It's a real film, and I am glad I saw it. Kiitos!