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Kaurismäki delivers another droll comedy full of his trademark humor.
All Critics (98) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (96) | Rotten (2) | DVD (6)
Kaurismaki's movies can tickle you with the briefest of statements, the smallest of gestures. Aug 29, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Kaurismaki's movies can tickle you with the briefest of statements, the smallest of gestures.
Jay Boyar
At the end of The Man Without a Past, I felt a deep but indefinable contentment. Jun 27, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
At the end of The Man Without a Past, I felt a deep but indefinable contentment.
Roger Ebert
A powerful film made with minimal means, it's a story of poor people on the fringes of society, done without sentimentality or condescension but with wicked humor. Jun 27, 2003 | Rating: 4/4
A powerful film made with minimal means, it's a story of poor people on the fringes of society, done without sentimentality or condescension but with wicked humor.
Michael Wilmington
Deliciously slow-paced film. Jun 19, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Deliciously slow-paced film.
Richard Nilsen
Wry, whimsical and sure of tone, dry in all of the right ways and without an ounce of condescension. May 29, 2003 | Rating: A- | Full Review…
Wry, whimsical and sure of tone, dry in all of the right ways and without an ounce of condescension.
Chris Vognar
Full of deadpan humor. May 23, 2003 | Rating: A-
Full of deadpan humor.
Eric Harrison
With its rusty railroads and dingy metal canisters where the downtrodden dwell, [this film] finds color, surprise, and joy in the simplicity of struggling Helsinki outcasts. Mar 15, 2019 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…
With its rusty railroads and dingy metal canisters where the downtrodden dwell, [this film] finds color, surprise, and joy in the simplicity of struggling Helsinki outcasts.
Jeffrey Overstreet
...dourly delightful. May 19, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
...dourly delightful.
Josh Larsen
M's past... is almost an irrelevance, for Kaurismäki's film is really concerned with the possibility of wiping the slate clean and replacing globalised, corporate living with the values of a utopian community of barter and free association. May 4, 2015 | Full Review…
M's past... is almost an irrelevance, for Kaurismäki's film is really concerned with the possibility of wiping the slate clean and replacing globalised, corporate living with the values of a utopian community of barter and free association.
Anton Bitel
What sets this film apart from other quirky adventures is its internal coherence (both in terms of storytelling and visual style) as well as the humanity of its characters. Feb 20, 2005 | Full Review…
What sets this film apart from other quirky adventures is its internal coherence (both in terms of storytelling and visual style) as well as the humanity of its characters.
Boyd van Hoeij
Kaurismaki's affection for and faith in people shines through even in the darkest moments Feb 12, 2004 | Rating: 83/100 | Full Review…
Kaurismaki's affection for and faith in people shines through even in the darkest moments
Dan Jardine
A slow-paced film, it certainly has its rewards for the patient viewer, but it is not the kind of film to knock your socks off with its sparkling comedy. Jan 17, 2004 | Rating: B | Full Review…
A slow-paced film, it certainly has its rewards for the patient viewer, but it is not the kind of film to knock your socks off with its sparkling comedy.
Robert Roten
Slow and dry, this Finland-set dramedy and its amnesiac protagonist seem to be searching for meaning along with the audience. It's a challenging watch, especially for those who know little about the local culture, but there remain moments of universal humor, warmth, and melancholy that overpower Kaurismaki's alienating idiosyncrasies.
Super Reviewer
The Man Without A Past raises a question, "what would make a changed better man?" A rather odd but interesting lovely story that delineates past, present, and future. Vivid, subtle characters blessed with sincere humanity and profound personalities. Hilarious. Brilliant. Compelling.
Great dialogue, interesting story and all that...but it just felt meh. It's a bit too dry for my tastes
Jim Jarmusch aptly summarized this film: "it's sad enough to make you laugh, and funny enough to make you cry."
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