Man Without a Past

Pros: Charm in every frame (except the brutal opener); music; acting; low key style.
Cons: None

The Man Without A Past, Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki’s latest feature, opens for the U.S. market with a sterling pedigree: winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, nominated for Academy Award’s Best Foreign Picture, its critical...

Pros: Much of the quirky humour is quite entertaining to watch.
Cons: Some will find the comedy too dry and not wacky enough.

I suppose I’m being horribly stereotypical here, but I assume that when most people think of “foreign films”, they think of something slow, and artsy, and serious, and deep. I doubt that a lot of people think “absurd comedy” when they think of the ...

Pros: Romantic comedy with depth and bite; Kaurismäki's minimalist approach; strong lead performances
Cons: May be something of a stylistic shock for Hollywood-bred audiences

The Man Without a Past is a touching little romantic comedy, but not much like the romantic comedies that come out of Hollywood. There's no simmering chemistry, no sexual innuendo, and the laughs derive mainly from situational absurdities. This ...

Pros: So non-Hollywood; Full of warmth, feeling, and honesty.
Cons: I am happy to say - NONE!

As I walked by the artsy cinema after church this Sunday, the next film playing without having to wait around was "A Man Without A Past." Yes sometimes I don't go by reviews, word-of-mouth, or even knowledge of a film but rather what is playing next and...

Pros: Wonderful storytelling with a great soundtrack.
Cons: None

The protagonist wastes no time in losing his identity to street thugs in this engaging Academy nomination for Best Foreign Language film from Finland. It is slow going at first, but we not only get a view from the outskirts of town through Finnish eyes,...