The Worthless
Arvottomat (De avlösa/ De värdelösa)
I buoni a nulla (Italian title)
Les indignes (French title)
Die Wertlosen (German title)

Finland 1982 colour 115 min Villealfa Filmproductions Oy, Jörn Donner Productions Oy

***

Drama

cast: Matti Pellonpää (Manne), Pirkko Hämäläinen (Veera), Juuso Hirvikangas (Harri Salminen), Aki Kaurismäki (Ville Alfa), Esko Nikkari (Hagström), Aino Seppo (Tiina), Aarre Karén, Kauko Laurikainen, Pehr-Olof Sirén, Tuija Vuolle, Veijo Pasanen (Carlos), Eija Vilpas, Riitta Havukainen, Ari Piispa (Vasili), Jorma Markkula (Mitja), Lauri Törhönen
credits: dir. Mika Kaurismäki (also script with Aki Kaurismäki), assistant director Aki Kaurismäki, DOP Timo Salminen, staging Aki Kaurismäki with Heikki Ukkonen and Timo Eränkö, music Anssi Tikanmäki

Manne looks alike a thin wet dog. This poor guy is a criminal. Not a very big one. He has a friend, Ville Alfa, who has a valuable painting. It promises only problems for both of them. There's a lovely blond woman. Manne finds out that the painting has something to do with the lady... and gangsters.

Matti Pellonpää's huge charisma helps this flick a lot. He doesn't have to do much to make the film funny in a way. Nowadays Esko Nikkari plays usually nice polices and funny loonies but here he does a scary role as a mafia chief and director Aki Kaurismäki remakes his role as an odd young fellow called Ville Alfa. He is quite terrible.

TRIVIA: Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki appears briefly in this movie. This very odd looking singer was a really big star in Finland until he died in late 1980's. A movie called Badding is about him.

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