Le Havre

Kaurismaki weighs in on the immigration issue. At best, the film has a sweet and hopeful message--that ordinary people can behave with compassion and courage and this can make all the difference in the world. At worst, the film is overly-sentimental and glosses over the real and difficult challenges of the immigration. I'm somewhere in the middle, but I like Kaurismaki's deadpan, quirky style, so that's a big plus for me. Loved Little Bob, too.

As opposed to a Belgian misguided rip-off I've seen this year, Kaurismäki clearly masters his offbeat buoyant style, punctuated by moments of sheer banality without going overboard. The lack of eye-popping aesthetics or commanding performances might hold off the movie-going mass, since you won't find any of them here, but if good-natured fun is your game, then you've come to the right place.

A winning combination of heart and deadpan wit. Kaurismaki understands compassion that is grounded in social reality; his highly optimistic regard for human nature, a form of social critique.

It's been so long since I've watched a Kaurismaki piece that I forgot I good it was. He was always a realist filmmaker, dealing with themes that are truthful, but handling those subjects with sweetness and beauty, making it too hard not to feel gracefully touched by his expression.

15 Ekim 2011, filmekimi & yonetmenin storytelling tarzi benim zevkimden cok uzaklarda. / multeci cocuk, ulkeden ayrilinca, hasta kadin iyilesir. aslinda parayi toplayan, yemek pisiren ve sert tavirlariyla kocasini elinde tutan kadin, 'devlet'tir. cocuk, ulkeyi terkedince, devlette iyilesir ve kendi topraklarindaki (evindeki) rutin, sikici, otoriter oldugu yasantisina geri doner.

Optimistic, sometimes witty... but also terribly naive, predictable and at the same time improbable. Deserves a score somewhere in the middle of the range.

It was alright. I expected it to be funnier or quirkier or something... I don't know, I just kinda lost interest halfway through. It was unmistakably an Aki Kaurismaki film, with a similar style and very similar cinematography to his other films. Not terrible, just not all that interesting either.

Interesting to use such a straightforward approach and matter-of-fact style to tackle a complex theme. Almost like it's trying to convey that all politics aside, this really is an issue of innate human goodness. (But what about the human badness that made this an issue in the first place?) A couple sweet moments but nothing I was terribly emotionally invested in.

Kaurismäki employs his trademark deadpan wit, unadorned directorial approach and unsubtle social commentary to tell the simple but compelling story of a destitute shoeshiner and his selfless attempt to help an immigrant boy. For the most part, the film works, without much dramatic tension, but smart, witty and heartfelt enough to be engrossing. The finale however is a sentimental mess, as the script resorts to pitiful contrivances in order to offer a sugary, mawkish fairytale ending.

Kaurismäki's signature sense of humour works very well in this story about helping a stranger, helping someone in need despite or perhaps because of one's own circumstances. Jean-Pierre Darroussin as the seemingly power hungry but ultimately humane police inspector is very good as is Jean-Pierre Léaud as the mean-spirited and indeed racist denouncer.

I have grown to really like the clean lines and cuts and scenes set up by Kaurismäki. Le Havre has a beautiful setting, almost like a stage, but also not quite. It introduces a memorable and small cast of characters, playing out like a fairytale, while also tackling a difficult subject. A really warm-hearted story. Not a lot of thrills here, but all the more moods. Not my favorite Kaurismäki so far, but never a bad one, either.

"Le Havre" has all the elements that make Kaurismäki's work worthwhile, yet this time round he seems to be leaning more towards conventional storylines. Overall, it is a good film but nothing special. And Kati Outinen is once again pretending to be acting. We're not convinced.

Pretty basic Kaurismäki. Great cinematography, dry humor and no facial expressions.

A bit too restrained to be funny, a bit too stylish to be engaging and a bit to optimistic for an young cynic.

I'm sure I'm supposed to like this... But I didn't.

21.07.2019

The wife is fantastic

B

A deadpan quirky comedy that just didn't wow me, but at the same time I can appreciate a well-made film when I see one.

A simple story told with elegance and style.

One of the most overrated movie i've ever seen. Very poor acting (listen to the original track), average directing (i suppose Kaurismaki can do better), and a plot that is an example of excessive politically-correctness. Good cinematography, at least. A movie only for naive, politically-left and nostalgic french hearts. Other people stay away from it. It's like a Christmas-movie.

Building a time and a place of his own, with an absorbing sense of mise-en-scène -- I feel there is no nation, no language, no period of time here --, Kaurismaki's social drama is almost a critic to the brothers Dardenne: his "reality" is lighter, closely followed by still shots, static scenes and a discolored, oldened set design. Again, his social "reality", not always interesting, is pure dream, pure imagery. It might be tempting to call it fake. If it is, then is also personal.

An original tale told with the usual Aki Kaurismäki charm. Gets too silly at times though.

Lite stolpig historia som också är lite stolpigt spelad. Fattiga men goda stolpar flertalet invånare i Le Havre runt och levererar inte helt naturliga repliker, men belönas inte desto mindre med ett avslutande under.

O Porto estreava há 10 anos no Festival de Locarno. Aki Kaurismaki te amo e você tem o coração no lugar certo, masesse filme em especial me deu uma sensação de Jean Pierre Jeunet que me deu nos nervos. BlurayRip no MakingOff.

Heavy-handed moral tale about immigration issues told in Aki Kaurismäki's personal style, marked by extremely dry humor, references to classic French movies and never ending optimism. Watching at those expressionless old actors I soon got bored. Interesting use of music, with cheesy melodies sounding somewhere in the background. Not a bad movie overall, but about as exciting as being old...

Dostoevskyan detectives and pineapples.

"Kaurismäki's style throughout remains, as ever, resolutely direct in its clean lines and saturated color." - Phil Coldiron

Simple, sweet, almost timeless human drama. Suitable for family viewing

It's a great film almost ruined by the acting of the main guy's wife, albeit the cameos of french legends (Jean Vigo's daugher, Jean-Pierre Leaud and Pierre Etaix) wasn't one bit distracting

Touching story about an illegal immigrant child and a simple shoeshiner, who tries to help even facing his difficult life.

Kaurismaki's directing has never been better, even if this is ultimately one of his lightest films, and also slightly plottier (a very relative term in his universe), which makes it feel a little longer than usual.

renkler ve sade anlatım tarzına bayılıyorum.

Utter rubbish, a little moral tale taking place in a caricature of a seaside French town, unfashionably full of well-meaning characters and nary a single wrongdoer, and with a fairytale ending. But as always, Kaurismäki isn't interested in realism, and the film triumphs through its simple wisdom, tasteful humor, social relevance and sweet cinematography. André Wilms' acting hits some sour notes, and the director has done much better in the past, but I recommend this.

In his trademark deadpan fashion, Aki Kaurismaki tells the story of a ne'er-do-well who comes to care for a young refugee, and who takes a very odd route towards securing his friend's freedom. Lightweight, but delightful moments abound: "I am the family albino", in context, is one of the funniest lines of the year. Andre Wilms is excellent as the crusty hero, and Kati Outinen is delightful as his ultra-deadpan wife; as the refugee, Blondin Miguel makes good with a slightly underwritten role.

A little French jewel. Good for a lost Sunday afternoon.

A gentle, beautiful film that portrays people working to do something kind for someone less fortunate. The film carries Kaurismaki's typically comic undertone, a lightness that serves as a counterpoint to the dark and heavy subject matter of the story. The initial opening of the canister plays brilliantly, the shots of the individual faces driving home their vulnerability and their humanity. Highly recommended.

Wonderful photography and endearing characters, but storyline is a dull "cute."

French fairytale - a funny feelgood film from Finlands father of offbeat fatalism...

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