Just went down to the Portland International film festival, and realized I screwed my self out of a deal to go see as many movies as possible. Thinking that it was going to happen in spring, before I got the whole "Video Verite Bargain Basement Theatre" situated and flyers printed out. The guy at kinkos announced to me a week before I was hosting at the "Basement Theatre" saying,"Man, you're really competing with the Portland International Film Festival",I'm like,"What are you talking about man, that happens in spring,"he replies," Nah it's happening on Feb. 10th", and once again I'm like", What, you tell me now". He goes off on me saying," Fool I don't even know you", and that conversation ended. So I'm going to try to get as many people who have free time to go to the PIFF and write reviews for me. Until then, I will try to find time and finally did. On Sunday I went over there to watch a South African film called 'Tsotsi" directed by Gavin hood.
Seeing a trailer for this recently in theatres at the Fox Tower insinuates that it is coming out soon, but I guess you can say I got a sneak peek and looking at this year roster for the PIFF I really screwed myself out by doing this theatre thing. They got the new Lars Von Trier "Manderlay", the third in the revenge trilogy of Chan-wook Park called "Lady Vengeance". The latest film from Terry Zwigoff call "Art School Confidential" and the second film apart of Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy called "Hidden Blade". Also the Palm D'Or winner at last years Cannes film festival the latest from the Dardenne brothers(The Son, La Promese, Rosetta). Yep, I screwed myself for sure!
Anyway, on with the review of a film that I got my hands on last Sunday called "Tsotsi". Rarely, African films are distributed to America because I'm still waiting on the release for a film I saw 2 years ago called "Moolade". Now I got to see another African film, and there is still some on my list that I have not yet checked out. "Tsotsi" the latest opus from Gavin about a gangsters living Johannesburg, not taking on the violent element in recent fares like "City of God" and Altman eradicated storytelling. It's truly a story about redemption of oneself, but not really conscious about it and doesn't turn out to be a fable. The main gangster that is named after the title of the film "Tsotsi" is played a young South African Presley Chweneyagae. A rapid opening that might enlist as another gangster film from another country showing true poverty, but it doesn't take its toll on that. Instead, opening up with an awesome South African rap soundtrack and handling the the violent apparitions by these kids is like Luis Bunuel in "Los Olvidados". It takes a sort of surreal turn into a story about redemption, that doesn't eschew a sentimental gesture.
The story about a hood named Tsotsi, who leads a pack with three other homies that run the night and steal, kill and gamble there way. Tsosti is portrayed as cold-blooded killer, and from the start of the film it felt another entertaining glorification of gangster life in another country. Even when it feels that way, it still gives more humanity in its more violent scenes as to its most cherish ones. It still doesn't make Tsotsi look soft though. Of course the leader of the pack isn't nice to the rest of his crew and mistreats them and they all accept it. You always get the one who isn't going to take it and when he does step up to the plate he gets his ass knock down, even as not so meaningless the action is, it still does not come to bite Tsotsi in the ass. After leaving his neighborhood to go to township and rob from rich people. He comes by to an African woman who rolls up to her mansion and ask her husband to open the gate. This allowing Tsotsi to come up and while her keys are in the car and rob her. With a gun pointed on her, she stays still but something in her comes and chases Tsotsi while he stealing the car. Once how our hood can get more dangerous, Tsotsi shoots the woman in the belly and drives away.
How can a man redeem himself from that, the movies proves succeeds with good character development and exhibition and it prides itself from not restraining from harsh subjects. It's not extreme, but not mean-spirited. As Tsotsi is driving he finds out that her baby is in the backseat. Now we got a gangster with a baby. Is this fool so cold-blooded that he will kill a baby? No, but he takes it with him. Leaving no choice but to take care of him, but all the wrong ways. He takes the baby back to his place in the slum, in a shopping bag with food and clothes. He takes care of the baby in a way that is some what laughable, to down right harsh. I'm not saying he gets abusive or anything, but this is a gangster trying to play the role of a father. While all these tribulations happen, Tsotsi looks to woman nearby to breast feed the baby and show him how to clean him.
While all this happen we get an insight into Tsotsi's childhood and coming to grips to the wrongs he has to make rights. A premise that could have been a after school special and handled cheesy is actually done with flair and but excessive on style. The movie invokes the spirit of South Africa as not just a back drop but a culture with a cool South African rap music. It's blend the bleak with the colorful, but doesn't sugar coat it, that allows the audience question Tsotsi's own redemption. It doesn't speak of redemption from one end to the next, but it allows it to unfold through the eyes of Tsotsi. Eh is the main focuses, but the film seems to somewhat rely(not saying it is a bad thing) on how Tsotsi development effects those around him and the rest of his crew, not to the extent of hating him but just moving on.
This Aliye Nyoka saying "SEE YOU LATER MASTURBATER!"
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