tsotsi

considering the sheer magnitude of films made in countries other than the US, it's a safe bet that the ones that get nominated for and win the Oscar for best foreign film are going to leave 99% of American movies in the dust. Tsotsi, this year's Oscar winner, is no exception. what I didn't expect is that this film would be so profoundly unsettling. the movie centres around a thoroughly bad criminal, known as 'thug' (Tsotsi), who inadvertently gains possession of a baby. his interactions with the infant remind him of his own tormented childhood and lead him to small acts of kindness or, at least, lesser acts of cruelty. the Johannesberg township setting provides a glimpse into poverty and survival unimaginable in the US, heightening the stakes and dramatic feel of the film. Tsotsi is definitely an anti-hero, but his baby face draws sympathy for his plight, despite his seemingly irredeemable disposition. also, the actors were superb, particularly the beleagered father of the infant, the woman whose breast milk Tsotsi highjacks and the baby, who is unbelievably cute.