Central Station

Set in Brazil, a young boy tragically loses his mother in a horrific accident. The boy named Josué, is left on his own to fend for himself, he has no one around him to take care of him and the only living relatives he has live very far away and have no connection to him. The only person who has any idea of who this boy is and of his situation is a bitter older woman named Dora. Dora works at the local train station, she helps the illiterate write letters and mail them to people. Just before the accident Josué’s mother had Dora write a letter to Josué’s father. Dora witnesses the accident and decides to take the boy into her own hands. What may at first seem as a humane gesture turns into Dora selling the boy. Later after being guilted by her friend, Dora steals the boy back from the people she sold them to. She plans to take the boy on a bus that will take him where his father lives and leave him there.

Once they reach the buses final destination Dora plans to sneak of the bus and leave the boy with the bus driver so that she can wipe her hands clean of him. However, Josué leaves the bus and Dora spots him and decides, undesirably, she must help him get to his father now.  After a long journey full of stealing, haggling, and upsets; Dora finally helps Josué find the residence of his father. They discover that Josué has two older half brothers and that his father is a low life alcoholic who has been absent from his residence for some time.  Dora leaves Josué with his two capable and caring half brothers. She leaves on the bus and is left with a picture of Josué and her to always remember him.

All together this movie is one complete bore. It’s like listening to someone tell a story in 106 minutes, when in fact it could be told in 5. The characters are not appealing to begin with and remain that way throughout the film. Towards the end of the film I imagine the director hoped to make you feel sympathetic for these characters as they learn from each other and become more compassionate; trust me it doesn’t’ happen. Josué is nothing but a little brat plain and simple, and the heartless bitter old hag that goes by the name of Dora deserves to be lonely for the rest of her life. I guess what I’m trying to get across is that I recommend this movie to no one, and hope I have the pleasure of never viewing this film again.