Le Havre (2011)

The Age of Commercialism

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Marcel Marx is an old shoeshiner in the French port city of Le Havre. He doesn't have money to pay for things that he 'buys on credit'. One night, a dock worker hears a baby inside a container. Police inspector Monet find a group of African illegals inside. One boy Idrissa escapes. Marcel takes pity on the boy and takes him in. Monet is after the boy while people in the poor community help out. The boy's group was going to London and Marcel intends to help him complete his journey.This is more of a social commentary fantasy. The acting has an air of artificiality which annoyed me. It's static and too cool. It's a deliberate style that may work better for the critics. I can't stand the stone face acting. That plus the subtitles leave a barrier to the comedy. I would have been better to have the lead Marcel as a silent Tramp.

These days it seems that French films predominantly fit into one of two categories: Smug, over long and preachy, such as Rust and Bone or Little White Lies. Or they produce deeply involving but simplistic stories containing the most genuine heartfelt emotion such as Amour (in French, therefore French) or The Kid with a Bike. I am happy to say that Le Havre falls in the latter group. In fact the story here is one of pure simplicity and the tone of the film contains nothing but genuine optimism towards the theme of human compassion. That is it, this film has no ulterior motive or no gimmicks, and it is a very simply and extremely involving story based around that one simple theme. However, this film is not just a tribute to human compassion, but contained within it are tributes to the history of cinema that are quite simply a joy to experience. When I say that, the use of music as well the way certain scenes are lit pay a respectful tribute to films of the 40s and 50s throughout the narrative. This is not to say that this film is not without its realism, Marx and his neighbours all live a humble life bordering on poverty. The plight of Idrissa is unenviable and there is an honest depiction of a refugee camp just outside Calais. However, the theme of Le Havre is not that life is simply good, that would be naive. It is how these characters deal with life and the situations that it presents. Of course it would be so easy to fall into to the trap of patronising and borderline preachy cliché here, but this never happens due to the genuine feeling of honesty depicted throughout the narrative. Every character is presented very honestly with all their flaws quite clear to see, but it is their ability for natural compassion that drives the narrative forward. By the time Le Havre reaches its very satisfying conclusion where there are no loose ends, it is difficult not to feel that not only have you been entertained, but also enlightened.

I made the mistake of watching this (and hence costing me 93 minutes of my life) just because it garnered a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I wish to deter anyone else from wasting time on this movie.A Family Guy character once said "It's either bad meat or good cheese...". Likewise, Le Havre is either a bad movie or good art.The acting is pretty bad, especially from the Gabonese boy.I don't know if this was supposed to be some sort of a throwback tribute to movies from a half-century ago, but the facial close ups and the dramatic and exaggerated actions (e.g. when the Gabonese boy runs from the container) were just a total bore and highly unamusing.The RT summary says "Aki Kaurismäki's deadpan wit hits a graceful note with Le Havre, a comedy/drama that's sweet, sad, and uplifting in equal measure." I could see the deadpan. But not the wit, nor the sweetness, nor the sadness, nor was I uplifted in anyway. I was just deeply annoyed.But of course, I didn't major in film history during college, so what would I know?Edit: I forgot to mention the bit where the wife is in hospital and her friends read her Kafka. I think I was supposed to go: "Oooh ... Kafka ... this must be a deep and profound movie."

A well dressed man with an attache' case handcuffed to his wrist has his shoes shined and then walks toward a train platform and we hear a scream. the man who has polished his loafers is Marcel, who tells a nearby friend that they better leave before the law arrive and ask questions.Marcel then is forcefully evicted for plying his trade in front of a store and continues his rounds, finally stopping for bread on his way home to his wife and dog. Before dinner, he takes mans best friend for a walk and visits a local bar for a night cap.Next, a group of police officers and Red Cross workers arrive at a shipping container and when it is opened they discover a group of black immigrants stowed away inside. A small boy runs from them and escapes. Marcel sees him under a bridge and offers him food and water. Unfortunately, the officials are nearby and ask Marcel if he has seen the escapee and he says no.Back to the bar where Marcel has a conversation with his friend, Chang about his legal status. Chang tells him that he was easily able to purchase fake identification papers in order to remain in France.Marcel's wife is admitted to the hospital for tests for severe abdominal pain and when her husband returns home he finds the runaway hiding there. He feeds Idrissa, and the child tells him that he is on his way to England to reunite with his mother.A nosy neighbor looking out his window sees the hideaway and calls the police. A woman friend, Yvette, agrees to hide and take care of Idrissa while Marcel travels to Calais to a refugee camp and the boys grandfather tells him that his daughter is in London and has a good job there.In the meantime, the law is in hot pursuit of the dangerous little criminal, who has made the local press. Marcel arranges for a boat to transport Idrissa to Britain but needs $3,000 Euros. The townspeople rally together for a benefit concert to raise the cash. The conclusion is somewhat sentimental but can be overlooked for the positive redeeming message of this film.