Tsotsi

Sometimes a movie is good, and you just don't know why. Tsotsi is a South African thug living in the townships. He lost his mother to (presumably) AIDS and left home to live on his own. He has his own little gang who makes money by pulling off small time robberies and has enough of an independent streak to avoid going to work for the local "boss". He is hard, and getting harder. When he steals a car with a baby in it, everything changes. Perhaps what I liked about this film is the search for meaning and humanity when there is no role model for meaning or humanity. Tsotsi has no basis to even consider the existence of empathy or caring. And yet seems to find it within himself and within others. It is not easy, and it is not wrapped up in 93 minutes. But the glimpse of hope is worth it.
4-stars