Calamari Union

Fifteen men gather in Kallio, a working-class district of Helsinki. All of them are called Frank. Their aim is to reach Eira, the wealthy quarter at the other end of the city. A man named Pekka, who speaks English, is with them. They set off through back streets and metro tunnels, avoid using surnames and carry on as they fall away one by one. Walking from one end of the city to the other is set up as an escape rather than a journey. Aki Kaurismaki wrote, directed, produced and helped edit it. It is in black and white and runs 81 minutes. The cast includes a great many Finnish rock musicians. The idea of fifteen men with the same name turns the film into a logical joke from the start: nobody can be told apart, nobody can be identified, and no loss carries meaning separate from the others. The New York Times described it as Kaurismaki taking over the American gangster film and flavouring it with his improbable humour. It is remembered as a cult film associated with the Finnish punk movement. Who it is for: viewers who like early Kaurismaki and absurd comedy. Who it is not for: anyone looking for a plot. The film is built to come apart, and most of its characters disappear without being introduced.