47. Le Havre (***)
Serious things happen in this film - murder, illegal immigrants, cancer - but the overall tone is very light and clean with regular touches of gentle humour. The story is simple enough: an old man saving a fugitive African teen from deportation and helping him reach his mother in England. But, the journey is through a rich, uncluttered landscape of characters that inhabit a charming French seaport. There's something very slightly offbeat about this film, particularly with the dialog, which serves to focus our attention on the wonderful faces that make up the landscape. A little reminiscent of Tati.
48. Policeman (***)
A very taut thriller. Constructed of two discrete stories presented separately that intersect at the violent, bloody climax. First we get to know a tough Israeli anti-terrorist squad, off duty, awaiting a judicial judgement on a prior mission. These guys are tough and tightly wound even when they relax. The second segment observes a group of misfit, middle class revolutionaries (Jewish, not Arab) as they plan a terrorist action to publicize their manifesto. Their comfortable backgrounds work against them, though, as do the confused group dynamics. As they execute their plan, the squad from the first half moves in to "neutralize" them. A couple of very small false notes, but engaging throughout.
49. Trash (**)
There's a good movie in here somewhere. The characters are well defined and believable and the setting is terrific - garbage management in a lower class suburb of Montreal. Atmosphere galore! There's even a solid back story that explains much about the protagonist. Too bad the script falls apart about half way in. When the main character starts making bad decisions, one after another, for the sole purpose of fuelling the plot, it's time to seriously consider the next draft. Too bad.
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