The Man Without a Past

This is definitely what cinema is all about

A film of infinite poetry, which improves with each viewing. This kind of humor served with a straight face really hits home. Ari Kaurismäki's soundtracks are such an inspiration that I started learning Finnish to understand them better.

Wow! Rotten Tomatoes with the deep cut. Also, like, I'm pretty sure this man had a past. Just sayin's all. This movie is somehow so serious it's hilarious. Sort of like Finland in general. Check out my longer review: https://youtu.be/6bGH8Qhm-Q8?si=I5VC5MQnQdUtIvho

The film talks about a philosophy that life has nothing to do with our memories. Life has life of its own. That being said, the subtle use of Rock n Roll as a metaphor was the masterstroke imho. Must watch and absolutely brilliant.

This movie should go down as once of the greatest films made. I’m obsessed with this movie

There's over-acting, but there's also under-acting like in this film. It still achieves to transmit the characters' feelings to the viewer, great film.

One of my favorite Aki Kaurismaki films. All the elements, and even his muse present here, but this one has something special

The first Kaurismäki film that I watched. Mesmerising, magical storytelling. Have watched the movie countless times and each time a new nuance emerged.

Well-written and well-performed on realistically pondering what would it be like if we lost our memorable selves and it becomes shared diegetic knowledge when unfolding the character with satisfying turns, even if it has to involve few disruptive connections that lingers between mysterious and unrelatable apart from the prompt's aforementioned effect. (B+)

As with all of his films, Aki Kaurismaki's The Man Without a Past is minimalism at its best. After taking a severe beating and being pronounced dead, the nameless protagonist rises from his hospital bed and embarks on a new life with no memory of his past. The humor is droll, the performances are generally emotionless, the dialogue is laconic and the pace is unhurried. And, like all of Kaurismaki's works, it is wildly successful, as improbable as that may sound. Among other things, it deals with the issue of identity – is it determined by our past or by how those in the present perceive us? Granted, it's not for all tastes, but, for those willing to go along for the ride, it is a joy to watch.