neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Man Without A Past
	Aki Kaurismäki Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Juhani Niemelä, Kaija Pakarinen, Sakari Kuosmanen 2002		The movies of Aki Kaurismäki are all about human frailties and eccentricities, as informed by the Finnish writer/director's penchant for dry, deadpan humor. "The Man Without a Past," Kaurismäki 's darkly comic tale of perseverance and romance, is no different; it's also an inspiring ode to mankind's resolute will to live. But "The Man ..." starts off with a scene so barbaric that the tendency is to look away. Weather it, and the rest of the experience will be worth the initial discomfort. A nondescript man, played by the taciturn Markku Peltola, gets off of a train, and within minutes, is beaten unconscious and robbed by a gang of thugs. Somehow living through the assault, he recovers with a case of amnesia. He's a middle-aged man with no name, money or memory, so he moves into a vacant cargo container in an urban shantytown, dines in a Salvation Army bread line and seeks gainful employment. He finds friends and a support system in this twilight existence, where he shows his mettle and creativity. He also woos a plain, introverted woman (Kati Outinen) who works for the Salvation Army and who, tentatively, returns his affection. "The Man ..." is a tattered charmer.