Few filmmakers practice minimalism as effectively as Aki Kaurismäki. Every detail in the frame and every movement by a character or the camera serve a specific purpose, usually poignantly tragic, absurdly comic, and often both. He shows a rare glint of optimism, perhaps even sentimentality, in this fable about Idrissa (Blondin Miguel), an African boy who ends up in the title town when the cargo container that was supposed to deliver him to London gets misdirected. Eluding the authorities, he ends up in the care of Marcel Marx, an elderly shoeshine man, and his support group of colorful neighbors. Played by André Wilms, whose resemblance to an older Dennis Hopper gives his affability edge, Marcel is one of Kaurismäki's more successful characters, both artistically and in the context of the film. Unlike the director's typical hero, Wilms's spare performance conveys confidence rather than defeat. He and the kid warm the heart, thawing Kaurismäki's usual icy aplomb.
