Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Arriving in Helsinki, a nameless man is beaten within an inch of his life by thugs, miraculously recovering only to find that he has completely lost his memory. Back on the streets, he attempts to begin again from zero, befriending a moody dog and becoming besotted with a Salvation Army volunteer.
Aki Kaurismäki's deadpan Finnish tragicomedy is a genuinely singular work — its laconic humour, minimalist performances, and melancholic warmth are wholly unmistakable. The amnesia premise is treated with complete disinterest in thriller conventions, instead becoming a vehicle for Kaurismäki's meditation on identity, community, and working-class dignity. Acting is characteristically deadpan but purposefully so, never quite reaching the heights of transcendent screen performance. Cinematography is clean and composed in Kaurismäki's trademark flat, painterly style — distinctive but not dazzling. The plot is slight by design, and the ending is gentle and satisfying without being especially memorable. Novelty is the film's strongest suit: no one else makes films quite like this.