User Reviews

"Mies vailla menneisyyttä" or "The Man Without a Past" is a co-production between Finland, France and Germany from 2002, so this film will soon have its 20th anniversary, but as the writer and director is Finland's Finest Aki Kaurismäki, this is of course only in the Finnish language. It runs for sligthly over 1.5 hours, under 100 minutes, and tells us into the life of a man about which we have no clue who he is (initially). The latter is played by actor and musician Markku Peltola, who sdly died at a relatively young age only five years after this movie was made. I thought he looked a bit like an older rougher version of Roger Federer. But oh well, maybe that is just me. Anyway, he is in pretty much every scene of the movie and we see him early on when he lies outside and is brutally attacked by a gang of crooks who seemingly kill him, but he ends up in a hospital with severe injuries, is pronounced dead shortly afterwards and as soon as the doctor and nurse leave the room, he just stands up with all hus bandages and drains as if nothing happened and walks out. Typical Kaurismäki really. There is always a certain violence, more even melancholy to his films, but also some bizarre fairly unrealistic comedy attached to it that still works nonetheless. Other than that, the comedy comes from interhuman interactions basically and their dialogues. Examples would be the guy who offers the protagonist to buy a beer, the guy who calls the protagonist a simple man, the protagonist wiping the floor in front of the woman he likes and so on and so forth. There are really many moments where you will laugh or at least smile while watching this neither too old nor too new movie. For me (and also for some of the other people in the audience), the highlight was Hannibal the dog. There was this running gag about him being a wild beast really, but you could immediately see that it is no such thing. Actually, it is not even a he, but it was somewhat cute how she grew closer with the main character than her initial owner. Oh yes this cop was kinda fun to watch too in his attempts to appear badass, which he really wasn't but his profession kinda demanded and he even looked that way, but he just was not.

In addition to that, the main character was really physically fine, only exception was that he lost all his memories (despite remembering he has a free call when in jail, how to drive a car etc. which shows you Kaurismäke is not about 100% realism, not here not in most of his other works), thus explaining the film's name. It's never really too much about getting them back honestly, he just starts from zero again, makes new friends and also meets a girl he likes. The latter is played by Kati Outinen and she received a Palme d'Or for her portrayal, which was honestly pretty ridiculous. The screen time as well as her material and her performance do not warrant this win one but. I may sound like a hater, but let me say that honestly I did not feel she was bad at all, but this is just one over-the-top reaction giving such an award to her for her performance here. If anybodydeserved something like that, then the lead actor. By the way, this was not the only big success for the film at Cannes that year. Tähti (the dog) also received one. May she rest in peace and also the film itself won the big prize. Also definitely a bit too much in my opinion. It was a good film, but not that good, admittedly more justified than the acting win I guess. There were people (not too few) applauding after my showing and it's been a while since I had that, also slightly exaggerated. Don't get me wrong I liked the watch and film, especially for its occasional awkwardness and bizarre moments and just situational comedy. It feels a lot lighter than it should given all the things that happened. I also feel the movie got slightly worse in the second half and with that I am mostly talking about everything that follows after the moment when he starts making music with this garage band there and the lady singing who said earlier she once was a singer. This is when the story really moves forward and a lot more happens, also in terms of the main character finding out about who he really is. This second half I probably would have rated lower than a 6 out of 10, probably just a 4. But everything before that is fine and there are also some solid moments later on, which is why I will be more generous with my rating. One would be when he runs into these crooks again, but now he has all his new friendw with him which also indicates that his life before that was kinda empty as they were missing. Anybody was missing. A nie little moment from the friendship perspective I think, even if it was a bit exaggerated and maybe too much going for the obvious. What else can I say? Oh yeah forest wolves beware of Hannibal! Obviously I did not know (m)any of the actors here, but Finnish film buffs perhaps will, but you don't really need to in order to appreciate this movie. I think it is slightly overrated all in all, to me it is nowhere near the best Kaurismäki has done, even if it has that North European charm going for it for sure. Go check it out, just don't expect something mindblowing, or maybe you will actually like it as much as some of the other people in my showing. Who knows. It is certainly worth seeing. Also kinda nice a dog does not die for once in a film here, especially if it is such a cute one. I think everybody in the audience, especially the girls, were totally in love it since minute one.

Aki Kaurismaki's film is a metaphor about surviving the worst possible tragedy in which a man loses his mind because the brutal beating that is inflicted upon him, after which, he transforms himself into a much better person than he was prior to that moment in which fate plays the horrible trick on him.

This is a film for acquired tastes of Kaurimaki's work. As a rule, his characters are people that are living outside society, as we know it, in a world of their own. Kaurismaki and his team always give us deadpan people who, at times, are hard to accept, but once the viewer falls for them, he is in for a good ride.

Mr. Kaurismaki has found actors such as Markku Peltola who is the man without the past, and Kati Outinen as the Salvation Army worker who falls in love with him, not knowing what she is in for. Ms. Outinen is marvelous in her interpretation of Irma. She plays such stoic women in everything I have seen her in. She is a very good actress who tends to erase herself, but her presence is felt throughout the film.

It is very interesting to see how many of the films that are nominated for the the Oscar as the best foreign film sometimes are not shown until after the awards are given, probably due to the fact of the narrow audiences they attract.

The Man Without a Past is a painfully boring film that offers very little entertainment value to the viewer. It's supposed to be a comedy about a man who cannot remember anything about his past, but there isn't a funny line in the entire film. The director, Aki Kaurismaki, failed to get me to care about any of the characters in the film because of the complete lack of action or emotion. The always stoic and timid characters made each passing scene more and more painful to watch. The plot is actually not that bad, but the way it's presented it feels like nothing ever happened during the film. I assume that cultural differences and perhaps the translation from Finnish to English had something to do with me not enjoying the film, but I believe that it was more than that. This is the only Kaurismaki film I have seen, but based on The Man Without a Past, I am not a fan of his style.

The story follows a man who was attacked and beaten in the park one night. After coming very close to death the man makes a full recovery with one exception: he can't remember anything about his past. After escaping from the hospital the man is later taken in and taken care of by a poor family that lives in an old shipping container. After being nursed back to health the man rents a shipping container of his own and starts his life over from scratch. After meeting and taking a liking to a woman while eating at a Salvation Army soup kitchen, the man goes to see her at the Salvation Army store where he gets new clothes and a new job. "The Man Without a Past" suddenly had himself a home, a job, a girlfriend, and even a dog. After learning that he has skills as a welder he tries to apply for a job, but he is unable to be paid until he opens a bank account. So, he heads to the bank to open an account, but unfortunately he gets caught up in a bank robbery and brought to jail. He is kept in jail for not giving the police any information about himself, which the police see as insubordination. He is eventually freed thanks to the help of a lawyer, but what he didn't realize is that the police posted fliers with his picture around town asking if anyone had recognized this mysterious man. A woman claiming to be his wife identified him, and he went to go visit her. He found out that he had been married and had just filed for divorce prior to his injuries. After learning that his past wasn't offering him any happiness the man heads back to his shipping container and his life with his new love Irma. Upon returning he finds that he is not really any different than the others that live in the area and that he is one of them. He may have been a man without a past but he had become a man with a future.

One theme of this film seems to be homelessness. The only time we see a character living in a real house is when he goes to visit his ex-wife. The family that took him in, the man that lived in the dumpster, the other men that went to the Salvation Army soup kitchen, and even Irma (lived in a dorm room) were all people who were very poor and struggling to get by. However, these people all made the most of their situations and seemed to enjoy their lives. One way that people did this, and another theme from the film, was by listening to music. After finding and getting the jukebox fixed, the man with no past introduces Rock and Roll music to the Salvation Army's choir/band. The group of young men are instantly hooked on the new "movement" and there playing of music becomes an important event for the lives of the poor and homeless people in the area. Even the woman who was in charge of the Salvation Army store took to the new movement and became the singer for the group's band. Music was the one thing that was bringing the community together in a positive way, and the man with no past was responsible for it.

Although I found the storyline of the film to be okay, I found the film itself to be very mediocre. A so called deadpan comedy gave us a cast of characters that brought zero emotion to the film. I cannot remember one person laughing at any point of the film, and I certainly wasn't laughing in the audience. There had to be a lot that was lost in translation here because the film was very awkward and uncomfortable to watch. I would imagine that without having to read the subtitles and being able to hear and understand how the characters were delivering their lines would have helped make it more entertaining. It could also simply be just a cultural difference that is the problem here. Either way, something was missing and it really hurt the film for us non Finnish speaking viewers. Overall I would say that the film is okay because the plot was decent, however I wouldn't recommend any English speaking viewers to expect this movie to be anything more than a drama, because it fails to deliver as a comedy.

I can understand why this film won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes. It's a very simple story that is brilliantly paced and, for me, absolutely bloody hilarious, all without cracking a smile. NOBODY smiles in this film, even when they're saying outrageously funny things. It is weirdly reminiscent of watching a Keatonesque silent film, but with dialogue. I thought of Samuel Beckett as I watched this, and understood why he liked Buster Keaton so much: he represented humanity's eternal struggle to be seen and heard while he was surrounded by unending chaos cloaked as 'civility'.

The brilliant Finnish writer/director Aki Kaurismaki satirizes just about everything here, and does it so well that you'll miss a lot if you blink too much.

This is essentially an absurdist black comedy, but it's so much more. The acting is so unusual and so remarkably dead-pan that it becomes a testament to controlled cinematic mayhem. Markku Peltola, the unknown 'M,' who literally rises from the dead, and Kati Outinen as the stone-faced Irma, are both wonderful, but then again so is the entire cast. How Kaurismaki manages to sustain this straight-faced send-up for 100 minutes is astonishing. You just don't see this kind of stuff very often.

Kaurismaki is up to a lot of mischief with this film. With the exaggerated aloofness everywhere on display, he must surely be having fun with widespread perceptions of Scandinavian 'iciness'. I'm not sure what the Finns thought of this film, but it's deeply appreciated (and endearing) for someone in far-off Canada (we're a country of stereotypes too).

Kaurismaki doesn't miss many satirical targets: the rigid stupidity of corporate and government bureaucracy, religion (Salvation Army's new-found rock band with boyish faces singing rollicking songs with absolutely no facial emotion), the 'sanctity' of marriage, and (I loved this) the lunatical excesses of capitalism (a bank so 'downsized' that its alarm systems no longer work, it's left with one employee, and it's being sold the next day -- to North Korea).

When you can sustain this lunacy, and still make some important statements about the nature of kindness, identity, and human dignity, then you've pulled off a great work of art. I loved this film.

If you had the chance to recreate your life, would you be where you are now? The Man Without a Past, a Finnish film by writer and director, Aki Kaurismäki, allows one man to do just that— though not in the most ideal way. After being severely beaten by three heartless crooks, this man (Markku Peltola) wakes up on a beach inhabited by the homeless (and nearly homeless) without a single memory of his former life—not even his own name. This beach community of misfits, living on the Salvation Army soup kitchen, help nurse the nameless man back to health, and he begins his bewildering struggle to build an identity from nothing.

As the nameless man (let's call him M) becomes friends with a man named Nieminen (Juhani Niemela), we see just how poor the people living on this beach are. Nieminen, we discover, is an alcoholic who spends more money on beer than his own children's dinner. Director Kaurismäki, however, does not want the audience to pity this community, but rather, to laugh at it. The people's reaction to M's bizarre situation, for example, is so blasé that they themselves become the ridiculous. "Oh, that's bad," replies Nieminen's wife when M explains his complete memory loss. Well, yes. It is.

Though it seems strange to make light of homelessness, the humor is actually what allows the audience to see the characters as people instead of basket cases. When Nieminen says he will be offended if M refuses his offer to buy him a beer, we see that even though they are dreadfully poor, the people that live on this beach still have a deep sense of pride.

As M becomes more involved in the community, he travels to the unemployment office in search of a job, as he hopes to live amongst his new friends. Kaurismäki presents a grim view of the welfare system: because he cannot provide a name for the application, M is accused of fraud and is thrown out of the employment office with no help. Kaurismäki, who worked as a post-man, dishwasher, and many other not-so-glamorous jobs before becoming a director, is sending a clear message: dignity is not determined by social class, but rather, by kindness and respect.

Shortly after his run in at the employment office, M stumbles into a job at the Salvation Army when a worker named Irma (Katie Outinen) sees that he is highly capable. With his earnings he makes a home for himself in an old storage unit near Nieminen's trailer. Among his few possessions is an old jukebox that blasts 1950s rock 'n' roll music, its lively beat invigorating the slow-paced film. Now M's love interest, Irma—the shy, conservative employee at the Salvation Army who secretly listens to American hits before bed— is easily wooed by his taste in music and unabashed affection for her. Like in M's relationship with Irma, actor Peltola is able to subtly weave M's character into our hearts until, eventually, we realize we've been rooting for him all along.

Outinen too is a superb actress. Though she has few lines, when her character Irma is with M, her expression perfectly conveys both the discomfort of an unfamiliar situation and a desire to know what will happen next. Irma is not the only one who M brings out of their shell. M teaches The Salvation Army band, which previously knew only one song (which was, quite simply, a drag), about the glory that is rock 'n' roll. They soon put on a show with the director of the Salvation Army, a woman we learn who has wanted to be a singer her whole life, and the whole community comes together to listen.

Things take a turn for the worse for M, however, when he is a witness to a hilariously simple bank robbery: one man and his rifle. The bank clerk nonchalantly brings out the money while M just stands there obliviously. "I'm sorry I have to do this," the robber says, locking them in the vault, to which M replies that he understands given the situation at hand and not to worry about it. Like the idea of a man with severe brain damage waking up in a homeless village and starting a new life with no questions asked, it's the kind of hilarious that hits you three days later when you're brushing your teeth. Unfortunately for M, the police don't find it so funny. Kaurismäki again shows a distaste for state institutions as the police unlawfully detain M for not giving them his name. Irma comes to the rescue, sending M a lawyer who promptly gets M his freedom whose face, we discover, has been plastered across newspapers with the headline "Who is this man?"

On his way back to his new home, M is told that his wife contacted the police when she saw his picture in the paper and that he can go back home. But where is home, anyway? M can take back his name, and with it his old life, or he can choose to stay with Irma and his unconventional friends. At the end of this fantastically funny film, Kaurismäki presents a dramatic ultimatum that will change everything for M, as The Man Without a Past is now the man with two futures.

This is an excellent little film with good acting and writing and fortunately it is also without some of the obvious clichés you might expect from such a movie. What I mean by that is that repeatedly, the film does not go exactly where you'd expect it. Here are some examples: although the poor folks are generally decent in the film, they are not always so noble but are living at rock bottom for a variety of reasons. Some films or TV shows have shown the homeless as being almost saintly. Next, while the title character cannot remember who he was, once he finds out he was neither a monster nor a saint--and I was REALLY expecting this to happen.

What we have left is a clever film about a guy who cannot remember who he is and so he sets about creating a new identity for himself instead of just sitting around waiting for his past to return. Along the way he meets some really interesting characters (such as the guy in the bank and the amazingly complex Anttila). Not a great film, but so smart and refreshing it is one of the better films you could watch.

The film is rated PG-13 because it has one brief scene of violence (when the lead is beaten savagely by a gang), but other than that there's nothing offensive about the film and is acceptable viewing for teens.

A subtle piece of artwork by Aki Kaurismäki, The Man Without a Past, tugs at the heartstrings of viewers with its simplistic and good nature. After being beaten severely, "M", the main character played by stone-faced Markku Peltola, wakes in a hospital with no knowledge of his life beforehand. He is essentially rescued by a small, poverty-ridden family who helps regain his health in order for him to start his life over again. In starting this new life, he meets a Salvation Army worker by the name of "Irma", played by Kati Outinen, who initially helps him and with whom he immediately feels a comradery with; the two eventually start seeing each other. After being witness to a bank robbery, "M", is confronted by police when he refuses to give personal information under the reasoning of amnesia. The police start looking into his identity and find his lack of involvement in the robbery as well as people from his past.

The theme of isolation and abandonment is prevalent throughout the film. The main characters memory has essentially abandoned him and because of this, he is isolated from his past and he must start over again. He is also isolated from the majority of society because of the fact that he must begin his new life in abject poverty. One of the first things he is able to do is rent a place to live and he spends time cleaning it; essentially clearing the slate for his new life. Besides pure hard work, how does "M" continue on in his new life? The only reason "M" becomes a success story is because of the kindness of others who give "M" opportunities without asking for much, if anything, in return. The biggest example of the kind-heartedness in this film is Irma and the work she does with the Salvation Army. It is important to not ignore the fact that the Salvation Army is affiliated with Christian values and ideals. These Christian values can be attributed to most characters in this film. And contrary to other Nordic films, there is no sex whatsoever in The Man Without A Past. This is definitely something that could be attributed to the Christian moral compass we see in the film.

Although there are strong Christian themes in the film, there are also strong undertones of humor. This is a very different kind of humor. It is a humor that would not be successful to American audiences. The characters rarely change facial expression or voice intonation, but along with this, very witty, humorous things are said constantly. This would be considered very dry humor or even deadpan humor. It comes off as very subtle and a viewer may not understand its intent towards the beginning of the film. However, by the time the idea of the sweetheart of a female dog named "Hannibal" who may tear oneself to shreds is introduced, the humor is well established and becomes more manageable to viewers. The humor is never overt which puts a genuine smile on one's face.

Over the hour and a half the film takes place in, we must notice how slow developing and simple the plot or story is. We simply follow the story of one man and his attempt to begin a new life. We see various situations he is put into and various people he meets, however, we never are troubled with intersecting story lines of different characters. The audience just follows "M" and his struggles. While the story develops, many different things happen such as a new rock band is formed and the viewer is expected to just accept the new happenings rather than question them. The question of, "why?" is not an issue. Why is the new rock band formed? Just because it is.

The Man Without A Past is a truly delightful and genuine comedic drama that shows a simple idea and story can be just as engaging as the most complicated of stories. The film highlights the good nature of simple people who truly feel the need to help the main character begin his life anew. Although the humor may be lost to some, especially American audiences, it breaks up the depressing difficulties "M" must deal with in his new life. As vicious as "Hannibal's" owner makes "Hannibal" seem, the dog really puts a light in "M's" eyes for the first time in the film and us as the audience root for him to succeed from that point on.

A trailer seen at our local art-film house caused me to put this one on our "films-to-see" list. After a year's wait, we found it at a local video store, and began to view it with eager anticipation. For the first ten minutes, we were befuddled with the static camera-work and framing, the wooden immobile blocking, the stilted, terse dialogue (even so for Finns)... it just seemed all so amateurish. The film was gripping in its "differentness" - so much so that we decided that it must be a "style" piece.

FASCINATING! (to paraphrase Spock rather precisely).

After a night's sleep - the film's images firmly planted into my brain, I awake this morning recognizing that what I have seen is a comic-book-like "graphic novel" in motion-picture form. You can almost see the "balloons" surrounding the stilted dialogue. The casting is SUPERB in its selection of characteristic sharply-chiseled facial and body-types. No one here has to be an actor, although they certainly may be in real life. The players in this comedy are icons -- comic-book characters brought to living breathing life. The film proceeds static frame by static frame. You just have to see it to believe how well-done it is.

I am no fan of graphic novels, and what little I know of them comes from proximity to and affection for my elder daughter - who is a Neil Gaiman (Sandman, et al.) aficionado.

But to see a talking motion picture pick up the style is ... surprising and delightful - especially considering the expertise and elegance with which it has been done. I mean - considering the vast gulf between the two media presentation styles, limitations and facilities -- "WHY?" Who cares! See it. Enjoy it. Don't get turned off by its apparent comic-book visual straitness (to coin a term). It is - after all - a comedy with pasted-on graphic-novel seriousness. Watch - particularly - for the protagonist to arise from the "dead" and straighten his own broken nose beneath a complete headdress of bandaging before making his escape from... but, I tell too much. Proof - however - of this film's true comic nature.

I have not read any other reviews of this film, so I do not know if my assumption of the filmmaker's intent and style is accurate. But, for me, the epiphany added a wonderful "AHA!" to the earlier puzzled enjoyment of initial viewing. I'm headed to our video system directly after finishing this to watch this film again - something I rarely do.

See it! I award it a 9.5!

The Finnish film A Man Without a Past directed by Aki Kaurismäki incorporated many universal life lessons in a refreshingly simplistic style. The film although not my favorite, still had great depth and a thoughtful storyline that forced me to reflect on what makes humans truly happy. A Man Without a Past chronicles the events that unfold after a middle-aged man is brutally beaten in a park and unable to remember anything about his past, not even his own name. The film documents this man, known as M, and his journey to creating a new life and the people he meets along the way. Through this journey the theme of American 1950's songs and cinematic techniques shines through and unlike mainstream Hollywood films involving action, sex, and special effects, Kaurismäki is able to touch his audience by portraying women as the hero's and characters who find happiness even as outsiders of a society.

From the very first scene of A Man Without a Past" American 1950's style music played in the background creating a setting that the movie was back in time. Throughout the first ten minutes of the film very little dialogue was spoken and the music and lighting took large precedent on the tone the rest of the film was going to take on. To some this music selection could be seen as odd, but director Aki Kaurismäki implements this theme into several of his other films and shorts. It seems he is fascinated by this time period and it is clear that this film was largely inspired by the 1950's in America and rock and roll. For example, we are introduced early on in the film to Irma, a very conservative Salvation Army worker whom lives a very minimalistic life style. Irma settles into her small apartment and falls asleep to a song called "Do the Shake" which made you want to stand up and dance. I was surprised that this was the song choice at first but then felt it added some personality to Irma. Next M finds an old jukebox on the side of the road and hooks it up in his "house", constantly playing old tunes from America while making dinner and doing other various things. He even tells Irma, "I think I want to be a rock and roll manager". Rock and Roll in not the only genre included however, jazz music is also incorporated into the film as well as classical, gospel, and blues. Many scenes, especially involving M and Irma also had songs that felt as if they were from a 1920's film. The dark lighting and jumpy music created an almost black and white feel to those scenes, particularly the ones that incorporated romance. Another way of incorporating this feeling of an older setting was the fade to black cuts that would end a scene. With all of these examples in mind, it seems that these cinematic decisions reflect the director and his love for music and different time periods.

Contrary to many Hollywood films, this Finnish film portrayed women as the hero's that helped the men out of their troubles. Beginning with Kaisa nursing M back to health it was understood that she was the decision maker of the home. Even her husband said early on that "she was the boss" which very much differs from the American gender roles. Next M goes to a Salvation Army event in which only men stood in line to be served by all women. It was clear that the men were in distress and the women were there to help them get them back on their feet. Irma also provides M clean clothes and a job to help him figure out his life. Other small, yet significant examples include two older women feeding leftovers to M in a diner, or M's ex-wife coming to the rescue to help him figure out his past. On the flip side the men in this film are seen as either helpless or heartless. For example, the man working at the employment office kicked M out of the building and the police officers tried their hardest to convict M on a crime he didn't commit. The stark differences between men and women is fascinating especially due to the fact the movie was directed by a man. It seems to be a large trend in Nordic film that women are the ones to be respected and that men are the ones who need saving. Although M is able to recover and recreate a new life for himself, without the women he met that would have never been possible.

The minimalistic way of living that was portrayed in this film was significant. M and his friends seem to live in old construction containers in which no bathrooms seem to be present and electricity is barely viable. Everyone that M holds a real relationship with involve those who are on the fringe of society. Even M himself said, "no one will want to hire me, I am an outcast". With this said however, the characters that seem to be struggling the most are the ones with the most heart. I believe the message that Kaurismäki was trying to deliver was that money isn't the only thing in life that will get you far. It turns out that M's new life living in poverty is much more fulfilling than his past when he was a bad husband and addicted to gambling.

Rebuilding a life is not easy, and for most people it does not involve getting amnesia and forgetting everything about our past. However, A Man Without a Past is able to give insight on how meaningful relationships are a key component to happiness and success when starting over. Through quirky music and old timey techniques along with out of the norm gender roles, this film will leave you pleasantly surprised.

"The Man without a Past" is a movie without a future. This trilogy film which depicts the negative side of life in Finland is not only depressing to watch, but also depressing in its emotional let down. Finnish culture is inherently unemotional in expression and tends to only say what needs to be said, but in a film depicting such difficult aspects as homelessness, poverty, and amnesia it is an endlessly annoying aspect. The extensive use of Finnish culture and societal aspects, rather than adding to a unique film, creates a film that seems lost in confusing cultural and societal norms while adding an increasingly difficult aspect of 1950s Americana. These aspects of culture, society, and Americana serve to undermine and destroy an otherwise good film.

The film "The Man without a Past" is an otherwise fascinating tale of a man who having suffered amnesia from a brutal robbery rebuilds a new identity and a new life until he is finally confronted by his past life. Depicting the hardships associated with Finnish males leaving home to find work in the city is seen through an interesting light by negating comparison to the past through amnesia. The main character, Jakko, whose name we do not learn until the end of the film (amnesia rendering him with no knowledge of himself or his past) is forced to rebuild his life through the charity of others and through this process he finds his true self and his true life. This unique aspect of hardship, despair, and incontinence seems a unique depiction from which to draw an ending of finding oneself, however, this is a very Finnish way of viewing life and is the only aspect of Finnish culture and society which adds to the film.

Throughout the dialog between characters seems strangely wrapped in Shakespearian soliloquy, as they are short, poignant, and have a somewhat musical rhythm. Yet, in a film setting which is not based in the past or which is attempting to draw a Shakespearian feel this simply renders the characters confusing in their speech and creates a sense that the actors in the film are either of an extremely low quality or simply cannot act. In that a sense of emotionality, something that Finns are not know for portraying, is utterly missing throughout the film. This lack of emotion draws the viewer away from the film itself and renders them utterly confused and frustrated at trying to decipher what could be described as an excessive Vulcan complex, where pure logic and no emotion tends to render all humor, sadness, despair, love, and friendship as a confusing ballet of inept tinkering. This innate cultural aspect could be understood if the director's films were sought after in Finland, this not being the case however it leaves one wondering why it was included.

Societal conceptions of basic ideals such as the welfare state, religion, and robbery are also compromised through the films very Finnish portrayal. In the film Jakko attempts to find work through the welfare state but is rejected for not having a name. Yet, rather than attempt to illustrate his problem to the official, he simply accepts the fact that without knowledge of his name he will not receive employment through the state and thus will be ineligible for assistance. After his rejection, Jakko returns to the Salvation Army which offers him work and creates an identity for him. This counter play between societal conceptions of the welfare state and religion seem to depict religion as being more open to assisting individuals regardless of their past, yet no one can move forward without the welfare state. This is seen in the final aspect of a robbery, which Jakko is a bystander to, which sees him attempting to open an account in order to receive funds from his employment with the Salvation Army. He is again denied on the basis of a lack of a name; even upon hinting that any name will do he simply says that he doesn't have a name. This heavy societal dependence on a sense of identity could be seen, if not for its Finnish nature, as depicting what is lost in the movement from one's home to an inter-land in order to find employment. Yet, giving its Finnish nature of conversation and unemotional basis one simply becomes confused and frustrated at Jakko's seemingly unwillingness to simply create a new identity. An unwillingness which would be understood to represent an individual's struggle with giving up themselves if not for the confusion of Finnish societal conceptions of rules and hiding one's true self from general perception by others.

The final aspect of the addition of 1950s Americana to the film renders an already confused and belittled meaning to the film simply incomprehensible. Now not only is one confused by interactions of individuals but the setting too becomes a hodgepodge of misused icons of 1950s Americana which destroy any early conception of time and place which would help a viewer to understand the film. Rather one is left to figure out the significance of 1950s Americana to the film if any. The decade being one of the so called good-life in America, but with underlying problems which lead to the turbulent 60s. Yet, the director did not seem intent on drawing a parallel between 1950s America and present day Finland. The moving gave no depiction of unrest and ended on a note of acceptance of hardship and despair being the path to finding one's true self. Thus this indulgence seems to detract from the film more than add any kind of significance or affection for 1950s nostalgia.

A film which would otherwise represent a decent film on the trials of the individual in finding himself or herself in the modern chaos which would have appealed to an unlimited audience is both detracted and lost in an overabundance of one culture, one society, and one's nostalgia.