Review of The Man Without a Past (2002) by James B — 04 Jul 2004

Aki Kaurismäki?s [b]Drifting Clouds[/b] is a personal favourite of mine. His droll, absurdist humour is so perfectly proportioned and spot on in that film that it?s hard to approach [b]The Man Without a Past[/b] without any preconceived notions. Happily, though, the newer film is just as funny, sweet natured and enjoyable as its predecessor.

M (Markku Peltola) is a man that arrives in Helsinki and whilst sitting on a park bench is brutally bashed and robbed by a group of thugs and left for dead. Coming to, he wanders into a nearby restroom and promptly collapses, blood spilling from his head ? he?s taken to hospital but is pronounced dead by the attending doctor and left for the morgue to pick up. Somehow, he?s alive and (not so) well and manages to wander off and into the outskirts of the city, where there are groups of poorer people living in small caravan-like boxes. Taken in by a kind couple, he recuperates and begins to get his life in order, where he meets Irma (another Kaurismäki stalwart, Kati Outinen) and slowly but surely falls in love.

Although the pacing and deadpan humour (not to mention the characteristically minimalist acting) might turn some off, Kaurismäki?s wonderfully absurdist sense of humour and acute comments on society (dealing with the poor, homeless, unemployed, etc) make the film not only eminently enjoyable but also quite touching. The second in his ?Finland? trilogy after [b]Drifting Clouds[/b], I eagerly await the third instalment.