'A film to cherish,' Missy Lorelei reviews Ari Kaurismaki's latest.
A big-hearted comedy drama which thumbs its nose at the conventions of European cinema, Le Havre will almost certainly make the best of lists at the end of the year.
Le Havre is a small picturesque town in Normandy, populated by happy oddballs and eccentrics- there are more interesting faces in this film, than in an entire Fellini marathon. It is in this town that likeable chancer Marcel (a brilliant Andre Wilms) lives, a shoeshiner with a seemingly inexhaustible tab which is never settled. Two events collide in his life which change it entirely- his long-suffering wife Arletty (Kati Oudinen) becomes ill and he finds, then strikes up a friendship with, a teen runaway--an African refugee called Idrissa (Blondin Miguel). Both relationships are delicately handled--Arletty and Idrissa both come to rely on Marcel. Although the young boy hardly speaks, his eyes are wounded and expressive- Miguel’s performance is astonishing.
Each frame is beautiful, with shades of Cartier-Bresson’s city shots throughout and cheeky nods to film noir in the more humorous moments.
Humane and deadpan, it is a film to cherish, one made with love and care- an antidote to multiplex fodder. You will want to embrace your loved ones after seeing it.
The final image is a still shot of cherry blossom- where there is life, Kaurismaki seems to be suggesting, there is always hope… and “havre” is, after all, French for “haven”.
Le Havre is on limited release.
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