It’s very easy to sit back and point the figure at Iron Sky’s ordinary special effects, a cast of unknowns or even the fact the story is so far-fetched it’s hard to believe that a human could conceive it, but there is still something that you have to love about a film that despite its weaknesses still keeps you entertained for its entire running time.

The ‘out there’ plot tells the story of ‘moon Nazis’, a party of Nazis who in the closing stages of World War II left Earth and set-up a base on ‘the dark-side of the moon’. Now days the base is inhabited by Nazis including the determined (and in line to be Fuhrer) Klaus Adler (Gotz Otto – TV’S The Last Cop & Stuttgart Homicide) and his bride-to-be, the naïve Renate Richter (Julia Dietze – 205: Room Of Fear, Berlin Angels).

While the Nazis plan for an attack on Earth their plan is rushed forward, in the year 2018, when a space-shuttle containing astronaut, James Washington (Christopher Kirby – I Love You Too, Mao’s Last Dancer) lands near the base. The Nazis believe that it is a sign that there base is under attack when it is actually a political-stunt by U.S. President (Stephanie Paul – Separation City, The Frequency Of Claire) and her PR advisor, Vivian Wagner (Peta Sergeant – TV’S Satisfaction & Canal Road). The result is inter-galactic war.

The reason that Iron Sky works is because the screenwriters and director, Timo Vuorensola (Star Wreck: In The Pirkinning, Norjalainen huora) doesn’t let the film take itself too seriously. They know that the film is ‘out there’ and they film it in such a way that they are making fun of themselves without ever dipping into complete parody.

In fact when you take a look at the script it actually has some ‘intelligent’ aspects. The Sarah Palin-esque President is a great touch, but it is when the film takes a mighty swing at U.S. politics and the U.N. that you begin to realize that the screenwriters have used ‘comedy’ to mask a pretty serious message… one that you may or may not agree with.

It is also worth noting that the screenwriters don’t really make light of the Nazi party so nobody should be too concerned that the film will offend anyone. It’s a thin line that the screenwriters skate, but they do it remarkably well.

Some of the acting is a little wooden and at times poor old Christopher Kirby has to suffer wearing some very ordinary special-effects make-up but the star of the show really is Julia Dietze. She is brilliant from start to finish and even if Iron Sky does nothing else it has certainly put this talented actress on the map.

Iron Sky isn’t for everybody but if you enjoy a sci-fi that is a little left-of-centre but doesn’t become a farce than you certainly won’t be disappointed if you give it a glance.

Year: 2012

Director: Timo Vuorensola

Stars: Julia Dietze, Peta Sergeant, Stephanie Paul, Gotz Otto, Christopher Kirby

Classification: M

Runtime: 93 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Sacha Baron Cohen (Hugo, Bruno) set the comedy world alight with one of the finest (and funniest) comedy films of all time with Borat, but then bombed out terribly with Bruno, a film that was so bad it could arguably be one of the worst comedy films of all time. Everybody knows that Sacha Baron Cohen has talent, the main question is does he bring his A-game to The Dictator.

The film takes a fictional look at Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) a dictator in the ilk of Kim Jong Il who rules over the land of Waadeya. However, his dream of creating nuclear weapons for ‘peaceful’ reasons put the world on edge and he is called to appear before the U.N. in America.

Aladeen’s trip to the U.S. is turned on it’s head however by a plan thought up by his Uncle Tamir (Ben Kingsley – Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning, Hugo) who wants to see the end of the dictatorship and Waadeya making its oil resources available to the world for profit.

Tamir’s plan soon sees Aladeen replaced by an imposter and then forced to roam the streets of the U.S., where nobody knows his name. Soon, he is calling upon Zoey (Anna Faris – Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, What’s Your Number?), a woman he would normally despise, to help him with a job.

But it is when he finds an ally in fellow-countrymen and former Waadeyain nuclear scientist, Nadal (Jason Matzoukas – The Bluegrass Brainwash Conspiracy, TV’S The Life And Times Of Tim) that Aladeen is able to put together a plan that may see him return to power.

The thing that really holds The Dictator back as a film is that we know that Sacha Baron Cohen and director, Larry Charles (Outnumbered, TV’S Curb Your Enthusiasm) are capable of so much more. There are times in The Dictator where the comedy is red hot, there are also times when the film makes a valuable point (think back to Aladeen’s speech about democracy and America), but it is the in between bits, the bits that see the comedy go beneath the gutter and into the storm water drain below that really hold the film back… and that itself is a shame.

Likewise Sacha Baron Cohen is okay as Aladeen but when you’ve seen the skills her has shown in Borat, Hugo or Sweeney Todd you know only too well that his performance here could have been a lot better. The same could be said for Anna Faris, at one stage in her career she showed promise but if her last few films are anything to go on, she is going backwards quickly.

At least cameos from people such as Megan Fox (Friends With Kids, Passion Play) slide into the film remarkably well and it would be a crime not to mention that Bobby Lee (Paul, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) steals every scene he is in as the hilarious Mr. Lao… now there is a character that deserves his own film.

Parts of The Dictator do work very well, but when it dips out it does so in spectacular fashion. This is one film that can only be marked as ‘could have been better’.

Year: 2012

Director: Larry Charles

Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jason Mantzoukas, Anna Faris, Bobby Lee, Megan Fox

Classification: MA15+

Runtime: 83 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

With any ordinary director at the helm, Dark Shadows would have become the shallow comedy that its trailer hinted it could be. But Dark Shadows isn’t directed by any ordinary director, no it has the legendary Tim Burton (Alice In Wonderland, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) in charge… and with his unique sense of humor infused into this dark tale you have a very good film indeed.

Based on a television series Dark Shadows tells the story of Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp – 21 Jump Street, The Rum Diary) a young man who is cursed by a witch, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green – Perfect Sense, Womb), and becomes a vampire whom is then imprisoned for 200 years.

When Barnabas is awakened her finds that Angelique has destroyed his family’s business and now pretty much ‘owns’ the town that his family set-up. Even the mansion he once lived in is in ruins as his distant relatives struggle to make a dime.

Barnabas arrives back at his old home and encourages his relatives, Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer – New Year’s Eve, Personal Effects), Roger (Jonny Lee Miller – TV’S Emma & Dexter), Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz – Hugo, Hick), David (Gulliver McGrath – Hugo, The Long Night), the family doctor, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter – Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Toast) and the butler, Willie (Jackie Earle Haley – Louis, A Nightmare On Elm Street) to help him rebuild his family empire and destroy Angelique.

And while trying to get used to the culture of the 1970s Barnabas also tries to find out how to impress the 1970s’ female when he finds himself falling for the Collins family governess, the mysterious girl who calls herself Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote – In Time, Beneath Hill 60).

Tim Buton’s cool imagination runs riot with Dark Shadows and it is one of the things that makes the film work. The film’s humour works, and despite some of the jokes being really obvious it seems to fit with the films style. But more importantly Burton gets the right mix of comedy and darkness. As a result you like Barnabas as a character despite the fact that he does in fact kill innocent characters throughout the film.

The screenwriters need to be congratulated for that, but they also need to be thanked for not taking away any of the suspense that this film needs either. Together with Tim Burton they really have created a surprisingly good film.

As a credit to what a fine actor he is Johnny Depp manages to outshine everyone else even though this is an ensemble cast. He is unrecognizable as Barnabas, a role he seems to totally lap up. Eva Green gets the chance to announce herself as the ‘baddie’ but so many of the rest of the cast, such as Chloe Grace Moretz, really aren’t given enough screen time to allow them to shine. You especially feel sorry for poor Bella Heathcote who does nothing wrong but at times it feels like her character has been forgotten about by the script. Let’s hope that if a sequel gets made some of the other characters get a look in as well.

As far as a good mix of horror and comedy goes Dark Shadows works absolute wonders and is a joy to watch. Dark Shadows is a lot better than its trailer suggest and really does deserve to be seen on the big screen.

Year: 2012

Director: Tim Burton

Stars: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Grace Moretz, Gullivar McGrath

Classification: M

Runtime: 113 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

From the producers of Bridesmaids promises a lot for The Five-Year Engagement after all Bridesmaids is one of the funniest comedies to hit our screens for a long time. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for The Five-Year Engagement which works in parts, but also hit rock bottom a few times as well.

Tom Solomon (Jason Segel – The Muppets, Friends With Benefits) and Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt – The Muppets, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen) seem like the perfect couple, so it is no surprise when Tom pops the big question.

However, when Violet lands a plumb job in a leading university Tom and Violet put the wedding on hold, which horrifies parents such as Sylvia (Jackie Weaver – Summer Coda, Animal Kingdom) and lands Tom and Violet in a smaller (and colder town) where Violet’s career takes off under the guidance of Winton Childs (Rhys Ifans – Anonymous, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1) while Tom’s stalls as his chef qualifications are wasted as he works in a sandwich shop alongside the likes of the strange Tarquin (Brian Posehn – Lloyd The Conqueror, TV’S Holliston).

To put even more pressure on them as Tom and Violet keep pushing back the date for their wedding Violet’s sister, Suzie (Alison Brie – TV’S Community & Mad Men) marries Tom’s friend Alex (Chris Pratt – What’s Your Number?, Moneyball) and starts a family right away.

The first person who should be held responsible for what is wrong with The Five-Year Engagement should be director/screenwriter Nicholas Stoller (Get Him To The Greek, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) who blots his once perfect ‘directing-great-comedies’ book by allowing this film to run way too long, delivering some groan-worthy jokes and to have a hole in its plot as large as the one supposedly in the ozone player.

Does anyone that has watched this movie ever believed that a couple has to put a wedding on hold simply because they are going to relocate for a couple of years? That in itself doesn’t make sense and the film’s script just sadly gets worse as the unfunny jokes quickly erase the memories of the ones that do work. At the end of the day the script is so bad it even makes Emily Blunt look like a bad actress, and that is something that is nearly impossible to do.

The second person who needs to be held accountable for how bad The Five-Year Engagement is, is the leading actor Jason Segal. Segal has to be one of the most overrated actors in Hollywood. Here he drags down the rest of the cast with a pitiful performance, and clearly shows why he shouldn’t ever be cast as the romantic lead in any film. The fact he also co-wrote the script means he should get two strikes next to his name.

At the end of the day it’s actually the supporting cast that rescues this film from being completely unfunny. Brian Psehn steals a lot of the scenes he is while Alison Brie continues her fine comedic work from Community on the big screen and clearly outshines he own screen sister, Blunt. For any Aussies who are curious, Jacki Weaver is credible but really doesn’t get a lot to work with.

The Five-Year Engagement wishes it was as funny as Bridesmaids but a poor script and some poor acting really just makes it an average rom com.

Year: 2012

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Stars: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Jacki Weaver, Rhys Ifans, Brian Posehn

Classification: MA15+

Runtime: 124 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

If you like your comedy on the absurd side then you’ll certainly enjoy Hotel Lux, a film that somehow manages to combine Nazis as well as Stalin with laughter.

Set in the 1930s Hotel Lux introduces us to Hans Zeisig (Michael Herbig – Zettl, Vicky The Viking) who is known to most of Berlin for his hilarious cabaret show depicting Hitler and Starlin, along with his close Jewish friend, Siegfried Meyer (Jurgen Vogel – Mercy, The Coming Days).

However, with the political landscape changing Meyer joins the Resisstance which leads to Hans meeting (and being very attracted to) Frida (Thekla Reuten – The American, Day One).

Hans decides to flee the strife in his homeland and head to Hollywood where he will make his name as an actor but instead he soon finds himself staying at the Hotel Lux in Russia where only his acting abilities can prevent him from being murdered by the real Stalin (Valeriy Grishko – Belyrr Tigr, TV’S Raskol.

Some will label Hotel Lux just too far-fetched and outlandish, but who says a film has to always remain in the realms of sensibility? Yes Hotel Lux does become a little outlandish but with the comedy working a treat the audience is hardly going to complain.

Actually, director/screenwriter, Leander Haubmann (Dinosaurier, NVA) does a fantastic job making sure that while the film is largely a comedy it does not make light of what the German or Russian people went through… that in itself shows what a good writer Haubmann is.

The other standouts in Hotel Lux are Michael Herbig and Thekla Reuten. Herbig puts U.S. comedic stars like Adam Sandler and Jack Black to complete shame with a performance that can only be described as hilarious. He is well supported by Reuten who is a star on the rise.

Laugh-out-loud funny Hotel Lux is one of the funniest comedies that you will see this year.

Year: 2011

Director: Leander Haubmann

Stars: Michael Herbig, Jurgen Vogel, Thekla Reuten, Valeriy Grishko

Classification: CTC

Runtime: 102 mins

Rating:

Hotel Lux is screening as part of the 2012 Audi German Film Festival in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth from April 18- 6 May. Please check http://www.goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/fia/enindex.htm for session times.

Dave Griffiths

Wow, how great is it to be able to finally see another American Pie film without that dreaded word ‘presents’ in the middle? American Pie: Reunion certainly isn’t the funniest film in the series but there are more than enough laughs there to make it a good comedy, and it fans of the series will finally feel that they have closure.

Jim (Jason Biggs – TV’S Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & The Good Wife) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan – TV’S American Dad & How I Met Your Mother) now have a son and are having some ‘issues’ in their marriage, but they feel that a visit back to Jim’s Dad (Eugene Levy – I Martin Short Goes Home, Goon) for their High School Reunion may just be the best bet.

Of course Jim arrives back to catch up with Oz (Chris Klein – TV’S Wilfred & The Good Guys), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nichols – Fading Of The Cries, Insight), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas – TV’S Family Guy & American Dad) and Stifler (Seann William Scott – Goon, Cop Out) and then when you throw in some other faves such as Vicky (Tara Reid – Last Call, The Fields) and Heather (Mena Suvari – Restitution, You May Not Kiss The Bride) some of the other guys realise they need some things fixed in their lives as well.

Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Scholossberg (Harold & Kumar Go To Guantanamo Bay) share the writing and directing duties this time round and really do stay true to the original series. There are no forced laughs and thankfully while they even write in some of the lesser known characters (but fan faves) none of these appearances are overwritten and all seem to flow naturally.

This new team even manage to smartly write some ‘life lessons’ into the film, and you may be surprised but they fit right in amongst the usual sex and this-time-round poo jokes that you’ve come to know and love with this series… and yes more importantly they don’t write anything that is totally out of place for the characters.

It is great to see the old gang back together and the film gets you thinking about why actors such as Jason Biggs really haven’t had successful careers outside of American Pie. As is mentioned several times this time round Biggs is very Adam Sandler-like and that should have guaranteed him some success, while Seann William Scott no being overlooked for comedy roles seems to be an even bigger crime.

If you haven’t seen an American Pie film before this isn’t the one to begin your journey by watching. This is only for fans of the series… and mark my words you’ll laugh and enjoy to your heart’s content.

 Year: 2012

Director: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Stars: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eugene Levy

Classification: MA15+

Runtime: 113 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

While the Yanks take the crass route and the Brits throw in a little supernatural it takes the South Africans (yes that’s right South Africa) to deliver a coming-of-age film that has old school charm but feels modern enough to not be classed as retro.

Set in South Africa in 1990 Spud is based on the hit series of novels written by John Van De Ruit and centres around John ‘Spud’ Milton (Troye Sivan – Betrand The Terrible, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) who escapes his madcap family when he is sent to a prestigious boarding school where he really doesn’t fit in.

As Spud tries to dodge lashes from the strange Spare Rib (Jason Cope – District 9, Spoon) , avoid various ‘tortures’ from his dorm mates, led by Rambo (Sven Ruygrok – TV’S Beaver Falls) and try not to get caught perving at his hot teacher, Mrs. Wilson (Tanit Phoenix – Safe House, TV’S Femme Fatale) he finds the only people that he connect with are the school loser, Gecko (Jamie Royal – newcomer) and his very honest English teacher, The Guv (John Cleese – The Big Year, Winnie The Pooh).

In a bid to boost his popularity Spud decides to join the cast of the school musical but that causes problems of its own when he suddenly finds himself attracted to Amanda (Charbi Kriek – newcomer) when he is still confused about his feelings for Debbie (Genna Blair – newcomer) back at home.

Spud isn’t just your average coming-of-age film though. On the outside it may look like another Diary Of A Wimpy Kid but Spud goes a lot deeper touching on topics as deep as South African politics while not forgetting that the main story at hand is a young boy struggling with puberty and learning about relationships.

Director/screenwriter Donovan Marsh (TV’S Hard Copy) does a wonderful job capturing the old school feel of a film such as Tom Brown’s School Days while keeping it in a semi-modern setting. Marsh is also a good enough director to prevent some of the ‘cheesier’ scenes with Debbie (think of her as The Mermaid) from turning to absolute cheese. With the way he presents them they cause you to chuckle rather than groan.

Spud is made even better not only by a little John Cleese magic but also by a breakout performance from Troye Sivan. Sivan announces himself on the world stage not only with some great dramatic acting and comedy timing but also with a singing voice that makes him a double threat. If this boy isn’t Hollywood bound then there is something seriously wrong.

This could be one of the surprise hits of the year. Spud is a sensational film that gently reminds you that coming-of-age films don’t have to be complete trash. This is one film you shouldn’t miss.

Year: 2012

Director: Donovan Marsh

Stars: John Cleese, Troye Sivan, Jamie Royal, Sven Ruygrok, Jason Cope, Genna Blair, Charlbi Kriek, Tanit Phoenix

Classification: CTC

Runtime: 103 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

In a world where Pixar animation runs riot it is good to see a stop-animation film arrive that is good enough to ensure it will put bums on seats And while the animation certainly holds up, the most amazing thing about Pirates: Band Of Misfits is the fact that it has an entertaining story and a brand of comedy that will actually make you laugh.

Based on a book by Gideon Defoe The Pirates: band Of Misfits follows the adventures of a rabble pirate crew run by The Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant – Did You Hear About The Morgans?, Music And Lyrics) who have long been the laughing stock of the Pirating world.

It is therefore a surprise to all when The Pirate Captain enters the race to be Pirate Of The Year which finds him up against the world’s best pirates – Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven – Angels Crest, I Melt With You), Peg Leg Hastings (Lenny Henry – TV’s Tinga Tinga Tales & Conversations With My Wife) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek – As Luck Would Have It, Puss In Boots).

In a bid to win The Pirate Captain and his crew find themselves on an adventure involving their beloved ‘parrot’ that leads to a meeting with the famous Charles Darwin (David Tennant – Fright Night, The Decoy Bride) and causes them to cross paths were their greatest enemy, the evil Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton – Arthur Christmas, The Awakening).

The animation in The Pirates: Band Of Misfits looks sensational and leaves you wishing that there were more films done in this style. Even better is the fact that directors Jeff Newitt (Trainspotter, Loves Me…Loves Me Not) and Peter Lord (Chicken Run, Wat’s Pig) don’t forget that even though they are using animation they are allowed to come up with some creative shots.

Storywise this film is spot on. It is entertaining and above all funny… yes I even laughed at the leprosy joke that seems to have been cut in the general release version of the film. The fact that the film also consist of some great characterization soon has you realizing that the script is actually pretty decent and some cudos need to be thrown in that direction as well. Their creativity far exceeds what this reviewer was expecting.

Hugh Grant is a strange choice to voice the lead character in an animation film but he pulls it off marvelously well, in fact if you didn’t know it was him you certainly wouldn’t pick it until the final credits. In fact there are a lot of surprises in the voice cast for this film… but all work remarkably well.

The Pirates: Band Of Misfits is a film that can be enjoyed by people of all ages… despite the fact some jokes may evoke some questions from kids. A surprisingly funny film that entertains and enchants.

Year: 2012

Director: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt

Stars: Hugh Grant, Jeremy Piven, Lenny Henry, Salma Hayek, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant

Classification: G

Runtime: 88 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

One quick look at the trailer for Mirror Mirror and any self respecting film lover should be prepared to toss the film into the ‘looks crap’ basket. But the trailer at hand certainly does not do justice to a film that may not be the greatest film ever made but is easily better than some in this genre and will be lapped up by those that enjoy films such as The Princess Diary.

Mirror Mirror is supposedly told through the eyes of The Queen (Julia Roberts – Larry Crowne, Eat Pray Love) (it’s actually not) and shows what happens after The King (Sean Bean – Cleanskin, Soldiers Of Fortune) dies and leaves his daughter, Snow White (Lily Collins – Abduction, Priest) and kingdom in the cruel hands of The Queen… someone that really does live up to the name evil stepmom.

Despite the fact that Snow White is virtually kept as a prisoner in her own castle both she and The Queen manage to fall in love with Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer – J. Edgar, The Social Network), something that results in The Queen ordering her right-hand man Brighton (Nathan Lane – The Nutcracker In 3D, Astro Boy) to take Snow in the forest and kill her.

Of course anyone that knows the story knows that isn’t the case and soon Snow White meets a bunch of thieving dwarves, led by Butcher (Martin Klebba – In The Gray, Project X) who are divided on whether they want her their or not.

Director, Tarsem Singh (Immortals, The Fall) does a good job making this a passable film. He is working with a script that actually isn’t that great and possibly with the directive to add some really cheesy moments, such as people’s teeth occasionally shining as they smile. Still at the end of the day Singh does manage to pull off a film that a wide section of the public will enjoy.

There are enough funny lines to warrant some chuckling and the script does actually give the dwarves great characterization… and to be honest at the end of the day that are the most interesting characters in the film.

Lily Collins (actually the daughter of the legendary Phil) shows knocks of Abduction that she is actually capable of some moments of good acting and is more likely going to carve out a career in rom-coms, but even she is overshadowed by Julia Roberts who relishes in her role as playing the ‘evil’ Queen. She obviously enjoyed every moment on set and it shows on screen.

Mirror Mirror isn’t sensational but it’s entertaining enough to make for a good night out at the cinema.

Year: 2011

Director: Tarsem Singh

Stars: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane, Martin Klebba, Sean Bean

Classification: PG

Runtime: 106 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Highly regarded for his unique sense of humour director, Aki Kaurismaki (Lights In The Dusk, The Man Without A Past) you always know you are in for something special when you sit down to watch one of his films. This time around Kaurismaki not only delivers that humour but has also served up a film with real heart in the form of a great little filmed called Le Havre.

The film tells the story of Marcel Marx (Andre Wilms – Ameicano, La Travesee) an elderly shoe-shiner that lives on the poorer side of the French city of Le Havre. He makes a modest living that is just enough to keep himself, his wife Arletty (Kati Outinen – Backwood Philosopher, The House Of Branching Love) and dog alive.

However the softer side of Marcel is revealed when a container load of illegal immigrants is discovered at the wharves. As the Police raid the container one immigrant, a young boy named Idrissa (Blondin Miguel – newcomer) escapes. Marcel befriends the young boy and takes him into his home and as Arletty discovers she is dying Marcel (with the help of his community) decides to see that Idrissa makes it to London to be with his mother and isn’t caught by highly-respected Police Detective, Monet (Jean-Pierre Darroussin – De Bon Matin, The Well Digger’s Daughter).

With his traditional witty script at hand Kaurismaki creates unique characters that make Le Havre a must see. You instantly fall for Marcel despite the fact that he has faults and it is certain that some people will be dabbing at their eyes when they hear that Arletty is terminally ill.

But the power in this film is that Kaurismaki brings across a strong message of community without really trying and through characters that at times have you laughing out loud. Kaurismaki also remembers a forgotten art in scriptwriting, and that is the beauty of a scene that truly tests a character, and without spoiling anything lets say that certainly happens for Monet.

While Andre Wilms really does a great job in the lead role he is overshadowed by Jean-Pierre Darroussin who is unforgettable in the role of Monet, one of the most interesting characters to grace our screens over the last few years. Darroussin finds the right mix of humour and drama to make Monet such a walking cliché that it makes him even more memorable.

Le Havre really is great film that raises some very important questions. This little gem just reminds all of us what a special filmmaker in Kaurismaki. A sensational little drama with just a hint of comedy… this is one of the surprise hits of the year.

Year: 2012

Director: Aki Kaurismaki

Stars: Andre Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Blondin Miguel

Classification: PG

Runtime: 90 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths