When South
African street hoodlum Tsotsi pinches a car from a well-to-do suburban couple
the last thing he expects to find on the back seat is a baby. From this point
on our hero’s life changes on a variety of levels as caring for the infant
conjures up feelings of empathy, memories of his past and his hopes and
aspirations. Yes it’s a little like a gritty version of 'A Christmas Carol', but
how could that ever be a bad thing?
The film has
its wince inducing moments, firstly as Tsotsi and his gang rampage around Johannesburg
and latterly as he clumsily attempts to care for the baby. Any new parents
could do a lot better than ignoring Tsotsi’s guide to looking after infants,
especially nappy changing, feeding, transporting in a carrier bag and insect infestation.
Ultimately, however the film leaves you with a lovely warm feeling as if you
are soaking in a lovely warm bath of hopefulness for humanity, but without the
candles and Lush bath bomb filth.
The lead,
Presley Chweneyagae, deserves credit for producing this feel good factor as he
struts around the township eliciting feelings of both fear and sympathy. Like
the rest of his gang, he’s believable, detailed and likeable. Also worthy of
special mention is the lovely Terry Pheto, who portrays a single mum who
befriends Tsotsi. She oozes positivity, love and wholesomeness as if she’s some
kind of supernatural South African earth mother on a mission to save the lost
boys of the township.
It’s a great
film without ever reaching the heights and complexities of City of God. South
Africa has so much potential for gritty offerings and I’ll definitely be
looking up other options from the country over the next year. Some lovely imagery,
a great soundtrack and a meaningful story means that this is certainly worth a
couple of hours of your time.
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