Pleasantly surprised by my first Aki Kaurismaki film. It's almost like a mashup of Kieslowski, Wenders, Fassbinder with a bit of Jean Pierre Jeunet and Jacques Demy chucked in. All of those influences are clear. The movie essentially explores compassion / morality, styled in 1970s but set in modern day. The currency is Euros, the conversation is immigration and Al Quaeda - but the set design is from a few decades ago. This is obviously deliberate - is it to play on Kaurismaki's exasperation on the lack of progress in recent times? Despite this, and the film having a few sombre subplots, it is very optimistic and explores the true value of community / love they neighbour ethic. Really impressed by Kaurismaki and can't wait to explore more of his movies to find out if they are as good as 'Le Havre'