LoginI already saw this movie but since it was such a long time ago, I was quite eager to check it out again. In fact, I remember well when this movie was released. Indeed, it was a big critical success and it even won the Golden Bear in the Berlin Film and the Golden Globe for the Best Foreign Language Film among other prizes. Back then, I even saw it in the movie theater when it was released, and I had some rather high expectations. Well, to be honest, even though I thought it was indeed pretty good, I can’t say it really blow me away though. I don’t know, maybe my expectations were too high but, somehow, I thought it was a decent story but nothing really amazing. Well, after all these years, even after rewatching the damned thing, I still ended up with pretty much the same feeling. Basically, even though it was a very well made dramatic road-trip with some solid directing, it still remained a road-trip nonetheless and I always had a hard time to really care for this genre. Indeed, I can understand why this format can be attractive for a filmmaker (it is basically a really easy way to develop a story) but, for the viewers, at least as far as I’m concerned, all road-trips follow the same rules which makes them seriously predictable. Still, I have to admit that Fernanda Montenegro and Vinícius de Oliveira both gave some really strong performances and they made the whole thing still quite compelling to behold. Anyway, to conclude, even though I wasn’t completely sold, it was still a solid drama and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
Central Station Reviews
A good movie
Posted : 7 years, 8 months ago on 17 August 2016 02:04
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wonderfully sad or sadly wonderful
Posted : 16 years, 2 months ago on 14 February 2008 12:55
I've just seen once again this wonderful Brazillian film and every time, I just can't help noticing that Central Station has one great quality: simplicity. That's absolutely relevant for a film to be classified as "great". In just a few minutes into the story, it already has our complete attention.
The film tells the story of Dora (Fernanda Montenegro, exceptional) a woman who makes a living out of writing letters for people who can't read or write. After they're written, Dora takes the letters home, and reads them with her neighbor Irene, both have fun deciding which should be sent and which should not. That's when Dora meets Josue (Vinicius de Oliveira, also exceptional), a nine year-old boy whose mother is hit by a bus and dies in front of the train station Dora works. Now, their destinies are bound to one another.
The technical aspects of the film are flawless. The photography is stunning going from the grayish aspect of the big city of Rio de Janeiro to the clear endless horizon of the roads. Together with the amazing soundtrack that matches perfectly with every moment of the film, the visual effects are enhanced.
The script tells a tough story, hard to be digested, specially for countries who are not familiarized with such poverty and difficulties. The fact that Dora sees herself, partially, in Josue's place, transfering her own frustrations towards her father, to the boy. She's a cynical person, who doesn't have faith in anyone or anything. For her, life is nothing more than one day after the other. There's no love or noble feelings in the world. Everyone that dictate her their letters have, in her eyes, something rotten or even dark. Dora lost most of her own humanity through tough and long years.
Although, during her trip with Josue, she's forced to see the world not only watch it. Small things like the generosity of a traveller who offers her a bit of his already simple meal or the kindness of a truck driver that can penetrate through her shield. And, besides the fact that Josue desperately needs her, even if it is for a small period of time. Maybe the boy is the first person ever that depends completely of Dora in all her life up to that point, and amazingly (even for her), she seems to like being responsable for someone. Not initially of course, but as the story develops.
Fernanda Montenegro has such an absolute acting in this film. Her character's learning is transmited to the spectators in such an intelligent way that we can't celebrate to each new victory, to each small change in her initially bitter personality, we grow up with Dora. But there's more beaituful acting in the film not only Fernanda's (who tottaly deserved her Oscar nomination, by the way). Irene is a character that is curiously naïve in between all the chaos and bitterness, and the truck driver, who manages, during so little time on screen, leave a deep impression in the audience, thanks to his charisma and his kindness. Last but not least, there's Josue, with a brilliant work, his talent is huge, one example is a scene where he sees a man who he thinks is his long lost father, he swallows, loses his breath and, imperceptively, attaches to the wall in a mix of expectation and excitement. Those small details are a treat and make a great actor's performance.
Walter Salles does one great work here. His directing is sincere and skilled on showing an ugly and poor side of Brazil but that's rich in feelings - which can be transfered to any other country that lives the same realities. The faces marked by a difficult life that write the letters in the story are a living portrate of a country that allows his people to suffer, but that can't stop those same people to express deeply their passions or that suffers from its misfortunes. And that, by itself, is a wonderful message.
*Liberty taken in this last paragraph, because this film has connections in many levels with the best of the Iranian cinema, showing the hard life of their simple people.
The film tells the story of Dora (Fernanda Montenegro, exceptional) a woman who makes a living out of writing letters for people who can't read or write. After they're written, Dora takes the letters home, and reads them with her neighbor Irene, both have fun deciding which should be sent and which should not. That's when Dora meets Josue (Vinicius de Oliveira, also exceptional), a nine year-old boy whose mother is hit by a bus and dies in front of the train station Dora works. Now, their destinies are bound to one another.
The technical aspects of the film are flawless. The photography is stunning going from the grayish aspect of the big city of Rio de Janeiro to the clear endless horizon of the roads. Together with the amazing soundtrack that matches perfectly with every moment of the film, the visual effects are enhanced.
The script tells a tough story, hard to be digested, specially for countries who are not familiarized with such poverty and difficulties. The fact that Dora sees herself, partially, in Josue's place, transfering her own frustrations towards her father, to the boy. She's a cynical person, who doesn't have faith in anyone or anything. For her, life is nothing more than one day after the other. There's no love or noble feelings in the world. Everyone that dictate her their letters have, in her eyes, something rotten or even dark. Dora lost most of her own humanity through tough and long years.
Although, during her trip with Josue, she's forced to see the world not only watch it. Small things like the generosity of a traveller who offers her a bit of his already simple meal or the kindness of a truck driver that can penetrate through her shield. And, besides the fact that Josue desperately needs her, even if it is for a small period of time. Maybe the boy is the first person ever that depends completely of Dora in all her life up to that point, and amazingly (even for her), she seems to like being responsable for someone. Not initially of course, but as the story develops.
Fernanda Montenegro has such an absolute acting in this film. Her character's learning is transmited to the spectators in such an intelligent way that we can't celebrate to each new victory, to each small change in her initially bitter personality, we grow up with Dora. But there's more beaituful acting in the film not only Fernanda's (who tottaly deserved her Oscar nomination, by the way). Irene is a character that is curiously naïve in between all the chaos and bitterness, and the truck driver, who manages, during so little time on screen, leave a deep impression in the audience, thanks to his charisma and his kindness. Last but not least, there's Josue, with a brilliant work, his talent is huge, one example is a scene where he sees a man who he thinks is his long lost father, he swallows, loses his breath and, imperceptively, attaches to the wall in a mix of expectation and excitement. Those small details are a treat and make a great actor's performance.
Walter Salles does one great work here. His directing is sincere and skilled on showing an ugly and poor side of Brazil but that's rich in feelings - which can be transfered to any other country that lives the same realities. The faces marked by a difficult life that write the letters in the story are a living portrate of a country that allows his people to suffer, but that can't stop those same people to express deeply their passions or that suffers from its misfortunes. And that, by itself, is a wonderful message.
*Liberty taken in this last paragraph, because this film has connections in many levels with the best of the Iranian cinema, showing the hard life of their simple people.
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