Antonia's Line (Marleen Gorris, 1995)
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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4
Why is it a Favorite?
Who doesn't like a quirky movie about women and family? This one is so uplifting, too, because it celebrates the weird and non-traditional. I first saw this movie when I gave myself the goal of watching as many Oscar-winning foreign films as I could. I immediately bought the film after my first viewing. Don't believe the critics that claim this is an ultra-feminist film with an agenda. It isn't preachy, instead it celebrates individualism, independence, choice, and intelligence.
Central Station (Walter Salles, 1998)
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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4
Why is it a Favorite?
I have to include Central Station in my list of favorites because I believe this is the film that made me want to study film. I was taking a course in college called "Cultures in Transition" where we watched films from Russia, China, and Brazil and then discussed how the films reflected the changing societies of those nations. It was a favorite class and Brazil was my favorite unit. Central Station does something to me, it transfixes me with all the subtle dialogue, gorgeous photography, and documentary-like moments. Walter Salles is now one of my favorite directors. This film also made we want to study Coming of Age films. It is a powerful story because it feels real and gets at deep-seeded, hardly expressed emotions.
Tsotsi (Gavin Hood, 2005)
Why is it a Favorite?
I have to include Central Station in my list of favorites because I believe this is the film that made me want to study film. I was taking a course in college called "Cultures in Transition" where we watched films from Russia, China, and Brazil and then discussed how the films reflected the changing societies of those nations. It was a favorite class and Brazil was my favorite unit. Central Station does something to me, it transfixes me with all the subtle dialogue, gorgeous photography, and documentary-like moments. Walter Salles is now one of my favorite directors. This film also made we want to study Coming of Age films. It is a powerful story because it feels real and gets at deep-seeded, hardly expressed emotions.
Tsotsi (Gavin Hood, 2005)
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Rating: Q=7, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4
Gangster, Coming of Age, Poverty, Complex Relationships, Income Inequality, Philosophical
Gangster, Coming of Age, Poverty, Complex Relationships, Income Inequality, Philosophical
Why is it a Favorite?
I can't praise this film enough. Tsotsi is so much more than a Gangster film or a Coming of Age film. It is so much more than a film about the slums of South Africa. There is a philosophical thread (almost spiritual) in this story that weaves its way in and out of the plot, a main character that makes you ache with compassion, a setting that will bring tears to your eyes...the story stays with you for days. Of all the films I have seen (which is a ridiculous number) this is one that I always recommend everyone view. It's startling and harsh and gritty and disturbing but also so very poignant.
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