Le Havre
2011
***
Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Cast: André Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Blondin Miguel, Elina Salo, Evelyne Didi, Quoc Dung Nguyen, François Monnié
Marcel Marx is a former bohemian (see La Vie de bohème) who now lives in the port city of Le Havre with his loving wife and makes a modest living as a shoeshiner. One day, Marcel runs into Idrissa, an illegal immigrant boy from Africa, and finds himself playing the good samarithan. Following his Loser Trilogy, Aki Kaurismäki continues to explore the lives of the down-trodden, but his one-trick pony act is getting old by now. He turns another topical issue (immigration) into a magic realist fable, which doesn't include one believable character or situation. The story is set in French cinema-inspired movie reality, but because of this, a prospective celebration of humanity becomes a handsome artifice that makes no emotional impact. Thankfully Kaurismäki's dry humour is still present in his most dialogue-heavy work. This is the first part of a prospective trilogy set in port cities.
