VividSimon Simply Perfect

Lawbolisted Powerful

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

anordall Poor acting, poor story, poor editing. The good guys and, on the other side, the bad guys. A lot of clichés. Take all these ingredients, season with the poorest social vision of the immigrants problem, and you have a movie! Is it possible that the only thing that good-willing people can do is helping a Negro boy arrive in England? Happiness is leaving your country and getting to France and than to England, to become a foreigner? One sees this movie, and the remaining impression is that Europe is dead, Europeans have lost all their sensibility and only can think, presently, in terms of stereotypes and commonplaces. Extremely individualistic, this movie is a faithful portrait of the way people reason under capitalism - one is as important as one million.

ao590 This was one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen. You could pause very nearly every shot and use it as screensaver or make a large print of it; that's how beautiful and well thought out they are. Aki Kaurismäki evokes a sense of times past. He embraces the 'unreality' of his film, and the genre as a whole, and plays it up with great wit and art. As mentioned by previous reviews, he combines tragedy and comedy seamlessly into an extremely enjoyable and engaging film that doesn't try to pass itself off as life and as such engages on much deeper levels than its straightforward message or story would perhaps imply.There are so many small details and well-thought out quirks here that keep your attention that it easily accommodates for my internet fried attention span, even while the director chooses not to openly deal with the electronic world. It's a decision indicative of the thoughtful and unique approach to the film; it aids both the storyline and the viewer's experience immensely. I was grateful and relieved to be taken away into a simpler and more honest world; both in the film's outward image, and within the story's universe. Its worth emphasising; this film doesn't try to masquerade as real life and as such allows for a much purer enjoyment. You don't have to worry about checking your expectations once the end credits roll.Being beautifully shot may not have kept my attention for an hour and half, but the storyline and Kaurismäki's wit certainly did.

FilmCriticLalitRao It would not be an understatement to suggest that in today's hostile, inhuman world where human sentiments have been replaced by deeper technological penetration, more and more films are needed to soothe world's sorrows and troubles. One way of doing it is to create films with a good combination of entertainment with a serious message. Aki Kaurismaki's "Le Havre" is one such film which has managed to please both critics as well as general public with its effective depiction of the plight of illegal immigrants who need to be dealt with in a more humane manner. An astute viewer can guess that the making of "Le Havre" should be construed as a kind of serious artistic challenge for Aki Kaurismaki as most of his films have portrayed Finnish realities in Finland. It is nice to learn that he has successfully scored good marks in this test as "Le Havre" has all the amazing qualities of a Finnish film which has been made in a different setting. Although it is shot by Aki Kaurismaki in Le Havre, a famous French port city,there is absolutely no change of style on his part. Aki Kausrismaki is as much concerned about the plight of his protagonists as he was in his Finnish films. He has kept his ubiquitous formula intact which concerns a problem that needs to be solved regardless of innumerable obstacles. However, this film succeeds to a double degree as there are two problems in hand which have been justly resolved namely the plight of an immigrant black boy and ill health of the protagonist's wife. Lastly,French actor Jean Pierre Darroussin shines as he continually reminds viewers of Inspecteur Javert.

Apu Garnesh I made the mistake of watching this (and hence costing me 93 minutes of my life) just because it garnered a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I wish to deter anyone else from wasting time on this movie.A Family Guy character once said "It's either bad meat or good cheese...". Likewise, Le Havre is either a bad movie or good art.The acting is pretty bad, especially from the Gabonese boy.I don't know if this was supposed to be some sort of a throwback tribute to movies from a half-century ago, but the facial close ups and the dramatic and exaggerated actions (e.g. when the Gabonese boy runs from the container) were just a total bore and highly unamusing.The RT summary says "Aki Kaurismäki's deadpan wit hits a graceful note with Le Havre, a comedy/drama that's sweet, sad, and uplifting in equal measure." I could see the deadpan. But not the wit, nor the sweetness, nor the sadness, nor was I uplifted in anyway. I was just deeply annoyed.But of course, I didn't major in film history during college, so what would I know?Edit: I forgot to mention the bit where the wife is in hospital and her friends read her Kafka. I think I was supposed to go: "Oooh ... Kafka ... this must be a deep and profound movie."