Le Havre

Marcel Marx (André Wilms) leads a modest but content life with his wife Arletty (Kati Outinen) in the port city of Le Havre. He has traded his dream of a big break as a writer for work as a shoeshine boy, earning a few euros. When Arletty falls seriously ill, Marcel's boundless optimism is put to the test. At the same time, he meets the boy Idrissa (Blondin Miguel), an African refugee who is doing everything in his power to avoid deportation by the policeman Monet (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) and make it to his mother in England. With moral courage and the support of his neighborhood's fellow residents, Marcel manages to hide the boy. But Monet is always close on his heels, despite all his caution.

With Le Havre, director Aki Kaurismäki has remained absolutely true to his style. With images carefully composed down to the smallest detail and his typical laconic humour, the Finn tells a truly fairytale-like story about civil courage, hope and humanity. The likeable main character, the many wonderfully quirky supporting characters and the extremely absurd comedy in some scenes make Le Havre a feast for all who love Kaurismäki's style.

That is, however, an indispensable prerequisite for being able to really enjoy this film. Because some elements of the production seem rather alienating or just annoying, unless you are familiar with Kaurismäki's style and appreciate it in its own special way. For example, the dialogues recited by Kati Outinen with a stoic gaze, which seem extremely rote, could leave some viewers with the impression of cheap amateur theatre. In that case the refreshing naivety of the story with all its do-goodery doesn't seem charming, but rather forced and cramped.

Kaurismäki is one of those directors about whom you can't really say anything bad as a film critic. So it is no wonder that Le Havre is praised to the skies everywhere. It might be that the film is really great in its sympathetic and quirky way. Because if you like this very special style, you will leave the cinema with a big smile on your face and a lot of joy in your heart. And a movie that is capable of that can't really be bad. But on the other hand, it can't be denied that certain elements of the production are accepted or praised only because they come from precisely Kaurismäki.

Le Havre has weaknesses, some of which are abundantly clear, others of which only reveal themselves to viewers who are rather critical of the Finn's work in the first place or who are only used to more straightforward (program) cinema entertainment. Those who love Kaurismäki won't recognize these weaknesses as such and will simply see the film as a very big gift to the current cinematic landscape. However, those who are unfamiliar with his style and are only lured to the cinema by the many positive reviews might be in for a less than pleasant surprise. Therefore: only for connoisseurs and lovers unreservedly recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp