Félicité

Interlocks "classical" and modern music and dream and reality in a wonderful way. The outcome is a sensual film experience where the pictures and sounds create something that's beyond the words that could wrap up the simple story.

Loved the first half, and then the plot just kinda ends, and the movie keeps going for another hour. Very strange pacing

Kongo'da fakirlik. Kenar mahallede şarkı söyleyen Felicite, oğlunun kazada ağır yaralanınca, ameliyatı için para toplamak zorunda kalır. Kongo'nun arka mahallelerinde çekilen film, paranın gücünü, esaretin zenginliği anlatılmış. Oyuncular, hayatı yaşamışlar. Fakat ilk yarıda başlayan tempo, ikinci yarıda durağanlığa bırakıyor. Filmin sonunda, ayrılsak da beraberiz. Dam üstünde un eler. Tombul tombul memeler.

A strongly character-driven piece which focuses exclusively on one woman and her travails and tribulations over several days, seeking, as usual, money to save her son. The lengths to which the character goes, and humiliations she suffers, are the key to this type of car-crash narrative. The main downside was that it dragged on a fair bit longer than I was expecting. Trim 20 minutes and you'd have more of a contender for awards and acclaim. Still, impressive filmmaking in a testing locale.

Tries to be a Dardennesque journey of transcendence following its character through harsh struggles of life with a vérite style and at times with Bressonian cold-bloodedness. Yet, it does not achieve any transcendence as it succumbs into self-orientalism and unnecessarily prolongs its rather dull narrative. The award at Berlinale also hints at the 'exotization' process at work.

Wow, this one just went on and on... definitely not a traditional three-act-structure. Still, it serves as a decent illustration of life in the DRC, and the plights and pleasures of its inhabitants. Could have done with a better camera, but great music!