Nowhere in Africa

good movie

The atrocities and barbarism in Europe are contrasted with the simple peaceful life of Africa, particularly in the character of Owuor -- a pillar of decency, dignity and wisdom. Sidede Onyulo absolutely shines in the role, and he's what really makes this movie for me. Watching his relationship with the family develop was far more satisfying than watching the relationships and problems within the family.

An interesting and largely engrossing look at the gradual encroachment of Nazism and the cloud of WWII from a very remote perspective, and how the dynamics of the war influence and shape each family member through their variant of the “fish out of water” narrative. Never hews to any formula keeping things largely fresh and unpredictable; fine performances and stunning cinematography (especially the vast, forbidding plains of Africa itself) help offset a tendency towards melodramatic soap opera.

Movie is beautiful. But in other-hand moviemakers are milking the same cow again. The worst thing is that movie says to you that Nazis were bad but colonialists good.

83.000

A fantastic story crafted into a great movie, thanks in large part to the casting of the two children.

83.500

A unique perspective on WW2. The film is impressive and well-paced but at times feels more history-driven than character-driven, which is a slight annoyance and brings a coldness to events. Luckily it is long enough to encompass enough family moments to provide an emotional heart to the story. I thought the 2 girl actresses did superbly and the film would not have worked without the coming-of-age perspective. Juliane Köhler could not really carry it by herself. Not outstanding but worth seeing.

Nirgendwo in Afrika

I love it when foreign directors craft their scenes to hit audiences as though they were watching an American movie.

The Oscar winning German foreign film works because of its amazing African vistas and the performances of its two leads and that of the little girl.