From director Aki Kaurismäki (Ariel), this French film was another new addition to the titles listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and when I read the plot line I was very much looking forward to it. Basically former artist and struggling author Marcel Marx (André Wilms) has relocated to the port city Le Havre having given up his literary ambitions, he makes a not too profitable living as a shoe shiner, spends time at his favourite bar and lives with wife Arletty (Kati Outinen). Meanwhile in the docks, inside one of the many containers in the port, arrived from Gabon supposed to be travelling to London, police and French border guards find a group of illegal African immigrants, seeing the elders the young teenage boy of the group manages to escape, news of his getaway makes the news. Arletty is becoming seriously ill, she visits hospital and is given devastating news, but she asks the doctors not to tell her husband about it, she wants them to lie that they are continuing tests for what is a minor illness, he asks questions but gets rather small answers from both the doctors and his wife. Marcel is the first friendly face that the boy, Idrissa (Blondin Miguel), sees when he is hiding under the city pier, the old man helps the young man leaving him some food and money, but soon enough the police led by Inspector Monet (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) are snooping around, and feeling sorry for the boy Marcel takes him home to hide until he can find a way to London. Idrissa tells his story during the time he spends in the old man's house, and he helps out with some small tasks, but ultimately he has to stay inside and not be spotted, and friends of the shoe shiner are happy to help him keep this secret, but Monet is very suspicious of this activity and is getting closer each time to the truth. In the end, having got to know Marcel, having a personal agenda, Inspector Monet does eventually find Idrissa when a boat has been arranged to travel to London to be reunited with his mother, and also feeling sorry the policeman allows him to go free and lies to his colleagues, and Marcel is sad after finding out the truth that his wife is close to death, she dies, but he knows he has friends to help him get by. Also starring Elina Salo as Claire, Evelyne Didi as Yvette, Quoc-Dung Nguyen as Chang, François Monnié as Grocer, Roberto Piazza as Little Bob and Jean-Pierre Léaud as Denouncer. Wilms gives a really charming performance as the elderly man who forms an unlikely friendship with a younger character, Miguel as the young man on the run and trying get away from the authorities is likable, Darroussin as the unavoidable police inspector is interesting, and Outinen as the slowly suffering wife is sympathetic, other supporting cast members are good too. It is two interesting and humanity based stories in one, the old man helping a friend out of trouble, and the woman who lies to her husband to avoid heartbreak and despair, the story is filled thankfully with funny moments as well to keep spirits up, but all in all it has a lot of heart and makes for an enchanting comedy drama. Very good!