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Pretty Good

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

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

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Central Station is a road movie set in Rio where it is a dog eat dog society if you are poor. Dora a retired teacher works in a train station concourse where she writes letters for illiterates and usually does not post them even though she has been paid for this service.Josue is a young boy who has been orphaned since his mother was hit by a bus. He is a wise kid sensing Dora was scamming her mother who paid her to write letters to his father far away.Dora reluctantly takes him in but she has no altruistic reasons for this. She sells him to an adoption agency and uses the money to buy herself a new television set. Her friend tells her that the kids are not adopted, their organs are used for transplants.Maybe it is guilt, she takes him back and they go looking for his father with the little money they have. Dora is still reluctant, along the way she tries to leave him once more but something inside her makes her stick with him.They get to Josue's father's town but things get more complicated which includes meeting half siblings. The film is more about Dora, a selfish woman wrapped up in her world, trying to get by whilst making a buck. The journey stirs her own memories with her father. She realises at the end that Josue needs to be with his family and uses her writing skills to good effect this time.

'Central do Brasil' is exemplary when it comes to simple film-making. It doesn't try to be something it isn't, always remaining pure on its simplicity. It follows a "less is more" philosophy, which means that the simplest things can be good.This Brazilian piece of cinema is almost a road movie, although it does a good job in two different things: taking us to the streets of Brazil and to places outside of the town. I'm not Brazilian, but I'm sure this movie makes Brazilians proud... provided they like it, of course.This motion-picture tells the story of Dora (a grumpy and apathic middle-aged/old woman), an ex-school teacher who writes letters for illiterate costumers as a job and Josué, a poor boy who just lost his mother tragically and son of a father he never met. This lady and this boy, so different in personalities and ages, have a troubled relationship at first and during much of the movie. They have a really hard time to get along. But later they do and well. And yet, just when things are getting fine for them, circumstances force them to separate from each other, although they find ways to remember each other. In real life, the boy developed a great friendship with Fernanda Montenegro and to this day they're still close and in touch.Fernanda Montenegro and Vinícius de Oliveira do their roles well.

Walter Salles' Central Do Brasil is on the surface, a story about the growing relationship between a bitter, cynical old woman and young boy set in the impoverished, violent and illiterate city of Rio De Janeiro. It goes much deeper than that, however. The film portrays elements of Brazil's Cinema Novo in that it attempts to raise awareness about the poverty, child trafficking and the vast number of illiterate people in the country. In addition to the social and cultural problems of Brazil, Salles shows the beauty and vast landscape of the interior dry-lands of the country called the Sertao. Utilizing elements of the road film, we see the gritty city of Rio De Janeiro, with its decadent, violent, miserable every man for himself society compared to the exploration of a different part of the country, the underdeveloped but vast and beautiful landscape of a more rural Brazil. The protagonists, Dora and Josue, embark on a journey of self-discovery while searching for Josue's estranged father. Throughout the film each hardship the protagonists experience molds them into a more compassionate and empathetic human being.

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.