Review of Tsotsi (2005) by Eric H — 27 Dec 2014
This movie is a rare gem that combines a great story with great acting; it is a pleasure from soundtrack to cinematography, and everything inbetween. The main character (the acting is fantastic) has shut himself off from emotion in order to survive; he's had a difficult time in life.
He's cold & calculating, yet as a gang leader, he tries to look out for his own. Everything changes when he stumbles by accident across innocence, in the form of a baby found in the backseat of a car he steals.
What made him shut himself off from the world was losing a dog he loved but couldn't save. Now, years later, he's presented with another innocent creature - this one's fate depends entirely on him, and he can't ignore that.
..yet won't succumb to it immediately either. So begins his struggle; he resists feeling again, yet can't help feeling again. He wants to give the baby up, yet doesn't want to. As he faces this delimma, there are others to deal with, involving the other characters around him.
Ultimately, his reason for existing becomes about more than just existing. However, this is far from a sappy, heartworming story. It's full of an appropriate amount of grit, people forced to accept the unacceptable, grey ambiguities as opposed to black and white clarities, and harsh realities.
But, it's realism is part of what makes this movie so enjoyable.
This review of Tsotsi (2005) was written by Eric H on 27 Dec 2014.
Tsotsi has generally received positive reviews.
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