Jamie passion and passionfruit!

Oscar winner for South Africa about the change of heart in the mind of a young Soweto thug.  I can’t say that I was so enthralled by it as some of its critics.  The story is OK (adapted from Athol Fugard’s only novel and updated to today) and there are some good scenes but there are also parts that I found a little irritating like the rather overblown finale and the use of sepia brown to shadow in all the shanty town scenes.  On the other hand, there are some great moments as Tsotsi, who in his robbing ends up with a baby on his hands, has to go off looking for a ‘surrogate mother’ for the boy and when he gets into an existentialist debate with a legless beggar he was planning on mugging.

Presley Chweneyagae is convincing as Tsotsi, Terry Pheto is particularly good as Miriam, the young mother and the cast of supporting actors all do a good job.  The film poses many questions about poverty and anger and the sorts of violent responses that people in these situations have to being disadvantaged.  A film to debate and discuss but for pure viewing, I might not rate it as high as some I have seen.

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