The Man Without a Past

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aka `Mies vailla menneisyyttä`
Certificate: 12
Running Time: 96 mins
Retail Price: £12.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
A delirious mixture of black comedy, film noir and love story, acclaimed Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki`s (Leningrad Cowboys Go America, Take Care of your Scarf, Tatjana) rapturously received The Man Without a Past triumphed at the 2002 Cannes film festival, carrying off multiple awards including Best Actress and the Grand Jury Prize.

Markku Peltola (Juha) plays `M`, who arrives in Helsinki only to be viciously set upon by thugs and pronounced dead by medics. By some miracle he revives but with no memory of his past or his identity. Rebuilding his life from scratch, `M` acquires a melancholy dog (a recurring Kaurismäki motif) named Hannibal and falls in love with a Salvation Army soup kitchen volunteer (the muse-like Kati Outinen, Drifting Clouds). But the past inevitably catches up with him, forcing him to confront his future.

Nominated for an Academy Award, The Man Without a Past is a beautifully observed and effortlessly charming masterpiece stylishly infused with Kaurismäki`s keen eye for the surreal - nowhere more in evidence than in the deadpan dialogue - and the film-maker`s warming compassion for the dispossessed. Containing nods to Hollywood amnesiac pictures of the 1950`s and the director`s beloved rock and roll, it`s a unique work existing in an ultimately tender universe all of its very own.

Special Features:
Cast and Crew Biographies
Forthcoming Attractions

Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.78:1

Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 Finnish

Subtitle Tracks:
English

Directed By:
Aki Kaurismäki

Written By:

Starring:
Sakari Kuosmanen
Kaija Pakarinen
Juhani Niemelä
Kati Outinen
Markku Peltola

Director of Photography:
Timo Salminen

Editor:
Timo Linnasalo

Costume Designer:
Outi Harjupatana

Producer:
Aki Kaurismäki

Distributor:
Optimum Home Entertainment

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