Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

GusF Known in English as "Central Station," this is an inconsistent film with a flawed premise. This is the first film in many a year that I watched because I had to rather than because I wanted to as it was assigned viewing for a Law and Film group of which I am a member. It is not the kind of film that I would ordinarily choose to watch as it is rather depressing in spite of its would-be moving moments. The script by Walter Salles can never seem to decide on a tone and, at the end of the day, I didn't care what happened to the characters, which is never a good sign. On the bright side, the film looks great and it was interesting to watch my first film in Portugeuse - and only my second entirely in a language other than English or German - but I wish that my introduction to Brazilian cinema had been more successful.Fernanda Montenegro is very good in the Oscar nominated role of Isadora "Dora" Teixeira and it is a shame that the film could not have been on the same level as her performance. A cynical, bitter retired teacher, she writes letters for illiterate people at the major Rio de Janiero train station Central do Brasil. Half the time, she does not even send the letters, either tearing them up or sticking them in a door which her friend Irene compares to Purgatory. After one of her customers, a woman named Ana Fontenele, is knocked down by a bus, she takes in her son Josué Fontenele de Paiva but it is not out of the goodness of her heart. She sells him to child traffickers for $1,000, which she then uses to buy a new TV. Dora is an intelligent, well-educated, perceptive woman so I find it very hard to believe that it had never occurred to her that he would be killed and his organs would be sold until Irene points it out to her. She then experiences a crisis of conscience and steals him away from the dreadful place where she sent him in the first place. The film is concerned with her supposed redemption but it did not work for me because I don't think that she could be redeemed after that.In order for me to find a character interesting, they have to be either sympathetic or compelling and, unfortunately, Dora was neither one. I don't have a problem with characters doing terrible things if the storyline is gripping or, far less often, if it is able to redeem them. For instance, I was fascinated by Judah Rosenthal's existential moral crisis after he became heavily involved in a murder in "Crimes and Misdemeanors", which I watched only last week, and Michael Corleone's gradual descent into darkness in the first two "Godfather" films is a beautifully told, engrossing story. The problem with this film is that I don't think anything that Dora did or perhaps even could go any way towards redeeming her. She clearly regretted it, which is something, but I think that committing the act was unforgivable and there is no way back from that. I had much the same problem with "The Godfather Part III" actually but that was far from its only flaw.Because of this, I did not find Dora's bond with Josué - who is played by the rather bad child actor Vinícius de Oliveira - very sweet or believable as I was presumably supposed to. Frankly, I could not get the child trafficking thing out of my head for a single second during the film. She warms to him and does admittedly become a better person as the film progresses but it can't erase what happened earlier. She embarks on a trip across Brazil with Josué, albeit trying to abandon him several times along the way, so that he can find his father Jesus, a shiftless drunk who beat his mother while she was pregnant with him. Is this really all the poor child has going for him? He eventually finds his half-brothers, who are nice enough, but it is heavily implied that his father will never return in spite of a letter to the contrary. This is for the best as Josué might be able to actually experience real happiness, something which I certainly didn't while watching this film. Besides Montenagro, Marília Pêra, who sadly died in December, as Irene is the only actor who particularly stood out. Overall, the film hinges on being able to forgive Dora, which is a flawed premise in my view, so it did not do much for me, I'm afraid.

Rich Wright Sometimes, a film doesn't have to do very much to be special. From the surface, this is just a basic road movie of a lonely woman escorting a young boy who's just lost his mother in a car accident, to his dad's house across Brazil. She takes pity on him after he is forced out onto the street, and despite initial distrust between both parties (with good reason... she nearly sells him to organ farmers) they forge a grudging alliance which increases the closer they reach their destination. These are not perfect people... they lie and steal with abandon, and little remorse. But that is what makes them so relatable, and even the smallest role is filled by someone who has noticeable quirks. In other words, don't expect any cardboard cut-out characters here.It's also a great travelogue for Brazil, as we get to see all the beauty and ugliness that makes the country one of the most cosmopolitan around. It makes a nice change for a film to be shot there, without one scene set on a sun-kissed beach. With the twin events of The World Cup and The Olympics on the horizon though, it'll be interesting to see if most of the poverty and crime present here has been eradicated over 16 years. My guess is no. Tourists, hang onto your cameras. Back to the present... this is a wonderful film, full of depth and insight, which will resonate long after its over. Odds-on for a placing in my top 10 of the year come December 31st. 8/10

sl-pierce Walter Salles reveals a dramatic and sentimental journey with Central do Brasil, sure to capture the attention and sympathy of any fortunate viewer. The film tells the story of two characters, Dora, a retired schoolteacher who writes letters for the illiterate public in the train station, and Josué, a young boy in search of his estranged father. When their paths cross following the accidental death of Josué's mother, they are forced to form an unlikely bond as they travel across Brasil in search of Josué's father. The cinematography is breathtaking, revealing the true beauty and wonder that resides within the Brazilian borders. Likewise, I believe the relationship that develops between Dora and Josué to be just as beautiful, portraying two people who want nothing to do with one another, yet, who need each other in order to discover the truths of life's journey. Moreover, the various people and situations they encounter on their search for Jesús, Josué's father, add a rich eclecticism to the film. There is a deep symbolism present as well, which upon recognition causes the viewer to truly ponder its implications. However, even without the realization of deep allegory, I still believe this film can be considered a gem among others.

omgee Salles' picture of Brazil is that of a land of conflict in this road movie. The characters in this film are often harsh, and with good reason. Poverty reaches throughout this world, and the consequences of that poverty touch everything and everyone here. Tragedy affects everyone in some way, and the occasional good fortune often is temporary. The rare friendships found here are usually of the "tough love" variety. The primary relationship here, Dora's friendship with young Josué, is a tenuous one initially, based on some sense of mutual obligation but rarely on genuine affection until later in the film. Other relationships, both temporary and permanent, seem largely based on convenience or circumstance.The environment is quite contradictory. The viewer is presented with noisy urban scenes of dirty, overcrowded trains and images of cramped villages, rife with poverty and desperation. Close shots and numerous indoor scenes create an overall claustrophobic feel while adding focus to the characters themselves. Wide shots of the gorgeous Brazilian countryside are also occasionally included, showing the viewer that all is not dust, grime and desperation. Sadly, these beautiful vistas are ignored by the characters; they have more urgent matters to attend to.Numerous Christian symbols pervade the movie. It is easy to see the symbolism in Josué's quest to find Jesus (his father), guided by a single mother figure who could potentially represent Mary. However, the roles are often turned upside down, as this "mother" is far from saintly. All the same, the bitter Dora, who often comes across as downright evil, ultimately does the right thing, which is more than can be said for many of the ostensible Christians seen in the film, who eat in front of the obviously hungry, ignore the sick and abandon those in desperate need. There's a lot that can be read from this movie from a religious standpoint, regardless of one's beliefs.While Montenegro is perfect in her role as Dora, the acting throughout is top-notch. The ending, while heartbreaking, makes perfect sense in context of the characters and situations. This is definitely one worth watching.