News location:

Canberra Today 19°/21° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review: Le Havre (PG) ? ? ? ½

DEVOTED to his invalid wife Arletty (Kati Outinen), Marcel (a lovely performance from Andre Wilms) shines shoes for a living.

He finds an African boy Idrissa (Blondin Miguel) under a wharf in the harbour and takes him in.

Detective Monet (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) is enquiring among the waterfront folk for information about Idrissa’s whereabouts.  Life is pulling Marcel in several directions.

There’s enough human interaction in this summation to give promise of a charmingly compassionate film. Finnish film-maker Aki Kaurismaki’s screenplay illuminates the unforced humour in the daily lives of the local shopkeepers and residents.

Gendarmes, determined to find Idrissa before he can resume his journey to London, evoke the Keystone Cops mingled with modern police practices such as US movies and TV shows portray. And Monet may threaten Idriess’s safety but we are never quite sure.

In making its statement about the plight of refugees fleeing third-world demagogueries, brutalisations and economic depressions, “Le Havre” avoids hysteria or hubris. Its dramatic structure is direct and simple. Its warmth is charming. Hard to fault those parameters.

At Greater Union

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Dougal Macdonald

Dougal Macdonald

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Music

Cunio takes top job at NZ School of Music

Immediate past head of the ANU School of Music, Kim Cunio, is to become head of school at Te Kōki, the NZ School of Music, part of the Victoria University of Wellington, reports HELEN MUSA.

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews