The Man Without a Past

My girlfriend Johanna suggested I watch a movie called The Man Without a Past. No particular reason besides the fact that it's a Finnish movie and she's from Finland. She's a good ambassador to all things Finnish :) A few impressions on this movie:

Very atmospheric, I mean ambiances and tones are felt, almost brushed. Very slow paced, mostly about character development. Something very sad, a longing, in the music at the end. Is that the Finnish blues? If you lose your memory you can - in fact must - start afresh. Your character isn't knowledge, rather it defines how you act and react to things... e.g. the man in the mustache who steals the bank to pay the employees he owed to. Most things are implicit knowledge, things one doesn't un-learn, e.g. his talent for welding, knows how to walk, drive a car, etc. I get the sense that if his wife still loved him, even though he doesn't know her anymore, he would have stayed for her. But it turns out she doesn't, so his new love can take root. Optimistic ending. The character of the "landlord" and his dog "Hannibal" are quite funny, serving as the lighter side to an anotherwise introspective breed of characters. Even with subtitles, you also get a feel for sharp Finnish humor. Not a movie you just stumble on by any means, but it diversifies the repertoire a bit.

Next few DVDs in my {god damn, so little time, so many movies to see} queue: Danny Deckchair, Thin Red Line, Cellular , and Clerks - First Cut. Not doubt this last one should be a gem.