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2002 • Comedy / Drama • 97m

The Man Without a Past

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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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Top Cast

Markku Peltola
Markku Peltola
M
Kati Outinen
Kati Outinen
Irma
Juhani Niemelä
Juhani Niemelä
Nieminen
Kaija Pakarinen
Kaija Pakarinen
Kaisa Nieminen
Sakari Kuosmanen
Sakari Kuosmanen
Anttila
Anneli Sauli
Anneli Sauli
Bar Owner
Elina Salo
Elina Salo
Dock Clerk
Outi Mäenpää
Outi Mäenpää
Bank Clerk
Esko Nikkari
Esko Nikkari
Bank Robber
Pertti Sveholm
Pertti Sveholm
Police Detective
Aino Seppo
Aino Seppo
Ex-wife
Janne Hyytiäinen
Janne Hyytiäinen
Ovaskainen
Antti Reini
Antti Reini
Electrician
Vesa Mäkelä
Vesa Mäkelä
Men's Room Guard
Peter von Bagh
Peter von Bagh
Salvation Army Officer
Liisa Mustonen
Liisa Mustonen
Unemployment Office Clerk
Sulevi Peltola
Sulevi Peltola
Unemployment Office Manager
Markku Pätilä
Markku Pätilä
Jokinen
Producer: Aki KaurismäkiDirector: Aki KaurismäkiWriter: Aki Kaurismäki

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Reviews

CinemaSerf
2024-05-18
70%

Probably not since Wendy Hiller in "Major Barbara" (1941) has the Salvation Army featured so prominently in a drama. That's lucky as a visitor (Markku Peltola) to Helsinki arrives and is promptly beaten to near death by three hoodlums. He manages to stumble to the railway station and next thing the machine in the hospital says he is dead. Well, he's not that easy to kill and next thing he is wandering about, bandaged and with a different pair of shoes trying to find a place to stay. He has no memory of anything, just a load of broken bones and bruises. He has no money either, and finds himself in the vicious circle of no ID, no help. That's where "Irma" (Kati Outinen) comes in. She works for the aforementioned charity and takes pity on his plight. She manages to get him some clothes and finding, thanks to security guard "Anttila" (Sakari Kuosmanen,) what looks like a converted storage container to live in, he begins to rebuild his life in a gritty and unforgiving city. His relationship with "Irma" strengthens and maybe he has turned a corner? An incident that brings him to the attention of the cops delivers him an unexpected degree of closure for his past life, but will it help? Peltola is on good form here and his characterisation of the man lost in a strange world, but not bamboozled by it, is strong and quite engaging - especially when the hint of gentle romance creeps in with the equally robust character of 'Irma" who has seen a great deal in her charitable role. I probably shouldn't have, but I did rather like the denouement. It offers us a bit of hope and a bit of retribution and there's some very dark comedy along the way.

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Details

Status
Released
Origin
FI
Languages
Finnish
Studios
Sputnik, YLE, Pyramide Productions, Pandora Film, ZDF/Arte, Network Movie, ARTE France Cinéma, Bavaria Film
Box Office
$921

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