Le Havre (2011)

Movies allow you to be transported into different worlds. Even when they seem to be set in a realistic world, that world can be distorted and turned into something surreal. It’s something that can surprise the viewer or throw them off-balance. Director Aki Kaurismäki shows that he can turn the city of Le Havre into a setting for a modern fairytale.

Le Havre review

Marcel Marx (André Wilms) is a shoeshiner who struggles to make enough money to take care of himself and his wife. He wanders the streets trying to make his money, even setting up his gear in front of shoe shops, only to be sent away by the owner. While he’s out for lunch he sees a young boy named Idrissa hiding in the water. He’s hiding from the police as he has managed to escape from a container that was supposed to be sent to the UK, but was opened by the police. Now stuck in a country where he’s wanted Marcel decides to take care of him and help him continue his journey, while trying to keep him out of the hands of the police (in the form of inspector Monet (Jean-Pierre Darroussin).

The movie seems to be set at the end of sixties/begin seventies as clothes and cars appear to be from that era. Just as you settle with that thought and relax suddenly a cellphone appears, which seemed completely out-of-place. More of these things happen and it made me start to wonder about when this movie was taking place and actually took me out of the movie a bit. Marcel has to juggle his time between Idrissa and spending time with his wife who is sick.
Le Havre is a very human story about relationships and what people are willing to do to help each other out or protect each other. It’s something you see happen a lot, whether it is Marcel protecting Idrissa, Marcel’s wife protecting Marcel from too much information about he disease or the people in the neighbourhood looking out for each other. It paints a very humanistic picture.
Personally though I couldn’t care enough about its characters and story to really enjoy it. It’s a charming picture with both humour and drama that I’m sure a lot of people will love, it just wasn’t for me.

Score: 6

14 thoughts on “Le Havre (2011)

    • I can imagine it does. I had that feeling (well, not the crying bit ;)) with The Intouchables, which is going to end up high in my end of year list. I’m almost sure of it even though the year has just started 😉

  1. The time is a bit unclear to say the least. Some of the settings look more like the 50s. But I didn’t mind the inconsistencies so much; after all it’s a fairy tale as you say. I saw it during Christmas and I’d say that was about the right time to see it, when you’re in the mood for something cute and a bit sugary.

    • Well, I didn’t exactly look up all the makes of the cars and the year they were built, so I guessed the sixties, but it also could have been earlier. I can imagine that time of year gives it a whole other feeling!

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