Product: Nowhere in Africa (2003)
Rating: 5.0
Loved it
I very much enjoyed this movie. Unlike some others, I didn't think it was too long, or the English subtitles mysterious, or the Africans shallow. I particularly liked that for once an African character is central to the story, and more than just decoration. Sure, he was "just" the cook, but the extent to which the family came to respect, rely, and TRUST him made him part of them.I won't describe the plot, as that has already been done by many reviewers.Having lived in Kenya, I have to say that the European actors did a fine job with the Swahili, considering they were just memorized lines. Their delivery was natural, with the obvious caveat of the heavy accents. But even so, they all spoke like they understood what they were saying.I also thought this was a most unusual Holocaust movie and, while ever present, the Holocaust is not bashed over the viewer's head. It was a good balance.Furthermore, the characters were all pretty complex; the director could easily have fallen into superficial cliche, but did not. The love between husband and wife is frequently complex and conflicted, and this was illustrated artfully.If you like films about Africa, or complex, real-life type of love stories, or are interested in a virtually unknown aspect of the Haolocaust and WWII, this is your film.