LE HAVRE - MIFF 2011

This is the new film by Aki Kaurismaki and it is also my first film that I have seen from him.  Although before “Le Havre” I had never seen one of his films, just looking at stills from his previous films, I always thought I would be a fan of his work.

“Le Havre” is the French port town that Marcel resides in.  He is a lowly shoe-shiner and one day while having some lunch, he comes across a young African refugee boy who the authorities have been searching for.  Instead of turning him in, he helps the boy first by offering him food, and he then ends up trying to get the boy reunited with his mother who is already safe in London.  With the help of (most of) his neighbours he attempts this difficult task, however he has a local cop on his tail.  Throughout all of this, Marcel’s wife has been diagnosed with incurable cancer.

I really enjoyed this film and thought that it was a great way to start the festival.  One of the things that I liked about the film is that the majority of the cast were of an older age.  This is something you rarely see in Hollywood these days which is such a shame because most older actors seem to be experts at their craft and they are all magnificent here.  However what I enjoyed most about this film was the mis-en-scene.  “Le Havre” has been beautifully directed and the composition of shots is just masterly.  I kept being reminded of Hitchcock throughout, and there were just some stunning shots in this film.  I also loved the production design which made the film have an “old time” quality, with things like old tins, record players, even the pastel colours used gave a glorious vintage feel.  Another positive to “Le Havre” is that within this sweet little comedy, Kaurismaki is also tackling important political issues (obviously immigration and the treatment of refugees).  The only mis-step the film takes is during a moment when Marcel organizes a concert with an old rocker to raise funds to get the boy to London.  It just feels like it came from a different film altogether.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and will definitely be trying to catch up with more of Kaurismaki’s work.  A wonderful way to start the festival.

4 Stars.