Kritiken

Kaurismaki is an acquired taste... His characters don't smile much, they nod sadly a lot, they smoke and think and expect the worst. And yet there is a joy in them, a deep humor that's all the richer because it springs from human nature and the absurdity of existence, instead of depending on one-liners and gags.

As a slice-of-life, the film brims with memorable characters and subplots on the periphery... The Man Without A Past celebrates the human capacity for goodness and generosity, but does so on its own idiosyncratic terms.

Yes, it’s borderline cute. These northern countries produce a lot of dry whimsy (think of Scotland’s Bill Forsyth), but in Kaurismäki’s films, it’s anchored in anti-authoritarianism and the realities of class.

It's impassive, impressive stuff from Kaurismäki, who creates a heart-warming tale set against his nation's blighted economy, just as he did with 1996's "Drifting Clouds".

With the exception of the murderous thugs, Kaurismaki is clearly in love with everyone on screen but thankfully manages to avoid any trace of sentimental gloop, delivering instead a genuinely delightful romantic fable set to a cracking soundtrack of 50s-flavoured rockabilly-ish hits.

On the evidence of this hilarious and humane movie, these views are, like those of any great artist, at once perfectly clear and not easily summarized.