Life, Above All

My inability to go all in with this film means it doesn't have quite the emotional payoff I want, and I can't quite explain it. Maybe I've seen it before, or maybe I'm a grouch, or maybe I need the director to convince me that this girl is real, perhaps by telling me more about her. There is one really nice scene where she is invited to a party, and she gets to be the young schoolgirl she's supposed to be. I need more of this. Love the ending; just don't love everything before it.

A very moving film that portrays the reality in South Africa. The acting by everyone is noteworthy especially Khomotso Manyaka who plays the lead character.

"It has its heart in the right place, but it quickly begins to bleed at the edges, and soon these edges come to dominate the film's core." - Ilya Tovbis

Looks closely at life in South African townships, the regular and on-going issues that dominate the mindset of people that live there and will do for the indefinite future. The basis of belief in God, forefathers and magic is heartbreaking when you the realisation hits that this is an everyday approach to medicine for many afflicted with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. An accurate visual portrayal (though some overuse of warm/cold tones for mood) and touching characters make this worth a watch.