MovieChat Forums > Le Havre (2011) Discussion > 93 minutes I won't get back. Don't be fo...

93 minutes I won't get back. Don't be fooled!

posted 12 years ago by rabbitmoon
19 replies | jump to latest

After the glowing reviews, I was excited to watch Le Havre and saved it for an afternoon where I could free enough time to watch the film in one sitting.

What a mistake that was.

This was such an incredibly boring, distractingly self-conscious film with dreadful acting, and a very poor undeveloped story!

There seems to be a glut of whimsical wannabe poetic films influenced by the likes of Jeunet and Wes Anderson. Some are ok, but most are like Le Havre and hide their weak ideas behind phoney colour-schemes and dead-pan faces. Such things do NOT make a good film, unless you are highly suggestible, pretentious and artsy-fartsy.

After just a few minutes, it became really distracting how EVERY SINGLE shot was composed of blue and brown hues. Everything in the background was painted blue, whether a wall, phonebox or shop. The notable exceptions were the lady's red shop, and the grocers red overalls, which were such a clunky visual clue about the old man's eventual allies.

If I had paid £10 to see this at the cinema, I'd have demanded my money back. Another +1 for why downloading is a good thing.

[–] NewOriginals 12 years ago

I thought the film was an enjoyable sojourn from the glut of run of the mill rom-coms you can see on any ten pund trip to the multiplex. As for your comments on Anderson and Jeunet Kaurismaki has been making films like this (all are similar but none are identical) for much longer than either of the aforementioned.

[–] ishiidobie 11 years ago

Do not worry. The new G.I.Joe and Transformers should be hitting theaters soon. Sounds like something you can really sink your teeth into instead of artsy-fartsy films like this.

[–] rabbitmoon 11 years ago

Your comment is absolutely ridiculous on too many levels. Are you trolling? Do you think someone who doesn't like La Havre must like CGI films instead - is that the only polarity that exists in your narrow spectrum of existence?

Actually you don't need to answer because your opinion means nothing to me.

[–] zolazona 11 years ago

I thought this movie was boring as well. I started having to stifle my giggles in the movie theater because it was so awful when it made attempts to be artsy. It was as though all the characters were told to be stop in a freeze form position for 1-2 minutes in every shot. And the scenes that led down a hallway or to a doorway to... what exactly? Sweeping a floor? Smoking? Drinking? Moving one's head?

And to the people who thing I'd rather watch heavily action packed movies...boo and hiss. This movie made me feel like I had just gone to a Marijuana Dispensary before sitting down and watching it (and not in a good way)

[–] NewOriginals 11 years ago

It's not trying to be artsy, it's Kaurismaki's style. Just take it for what it is and enjoy it if you can.

[–] Steamboy 11 years ago

The film wasn't about the colours of the walls, it was about the people. Paying more attention to backgrounds than to the human interaction in front of you probably qualifies you as one of the "pretentious and artsy-fartsy", you know.

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[–] rabbitmoon 11 years ago

Come on, seriously? As a film about people its far worse than I suggested. Its about people in as much as every film with people, is about people. The people side of it is phony as hell, because its so removed from reality with the dead pan acting and self-conscious whimsy. And I wasn't trying to pay attention to the backgrounds, they were distracting in their colour schemes, which isn't a good thing either.

[–] lubin-freddy 11 years ago

How can anyone wrote about the time they won't ever get back and think they're being original and smart?

People hungry for the voice of god
Hear lunatics and liars

[–] rabbitmoon 11 years ago

I don't know. Do you think you're being original and smart by asking that?

[–] lubin-freddy 11 years ago

Had no intentions of being original. I'm just tired or worn and retread comments, that reviewers from suburban weeklies beat to death in the 1980s.

Nothing personal.

People hungry for the voice of god
Hear lunatics and liars

[–] rabbitmoon 11 years ago

I had no intentions of being original with that one line. I tire of people always trying to be original, but that's beside the point.

More relevant, is that you seem to have a real chip on your shoulder about something. To write such an ironically unoriginal and pointless comment about a single line in a post, which wasn't even the main point of the post, is slightly irrational and serves no purpose.

Perhaps you just enjoy injecting your internal anger issues wherever you see the opportunity.

[–] lubin-freddy 11 years ago

No chip on my shoulder, just calling it the way it is, which you can like or dislike. If you'd like, you can check my posting history, to see that I don't "enjoy injecting ... internal anger issues". But it's legitimate to comment on over-used themes, titles, and posts. The Classic Film Board recently had a discussion about the use of "overrated", a legitimate issue.

People hungry for the voice of god
Hear lunatics and liars

[–] rabbitmoon 11 years ago

You must enjoy a really stimulating and amusing social circle, with your elitist mindset and petty ways.

Thanks for giving me the freedom to like or dislike your comment, its really thoughtful and generous of you.

[–] lubin-freddy 11 years ago

You're welcome. Always happy to oblige.

People hungry for the voice of god
Hear lunatics and liars

[–] chicago85 11 years ago

Now all we need is for someone to say its "THE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE."

I wish I had a dollar for everytime I read that cliche on these boards.

[–] SofaOnWheels 10 years ago

I'm not sure how someone who was making movies before Jeunet and Anderson can be labelled as one who makes movies like them....

[–] Stratego (29196) 2 months ago

Not as unoriginal as someone bringing up that line whenever someone else doesn't like a movie they do like.

[–] lokis_angels 9 years ago

I think it is funny.

Everytime I read the boards and see a comment like this (XXX minutes I won't get back) I ask myself, if you hated it so much, why loose even more time by making a thread out of it, AND keep replying to people posting on that thread.

I bet you wasted more time on the boards than on the movie.

[–] asking_a_question 8 years ago

Just to let you know, I am definitely on your side the my hatred of this film. One of my biggest disappointment.