Product: Nowhere in Africa (2003)
Rating: 3.0
Epic, but perhaps too much so.
Nirgendwo in Afrika (Caroline Link, 2001)Winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar in America and five German Film Awards in its native country, Nowhere in Africa begins with a Jewish ex-lawyer, Walter (Merab Ninidze, recently in Bride of the Wind) having secured the way for his wife and daughter to escape Germany in 1938 and come to live with him outside Nairobi, Kenya. Wife Jettel (Juliane Kohler, Aimee from Aimee and Jaguar) and daughter Regina (played by two actresses as she ages; the younger, Lea Kurka, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the German Film Awards) aren't terribly sure what to think when they get there. And, of course, the breaking war isn't content to leave them alone to get acclimated to their new surroundings.Everything about Nowhere in Africa is epic, from Walter's opening bout with quinine to his final decision on whether to go back to Germany in the late forties. This is not necessarily a bad thing, of course, but some of it seemed to be more solemn than it needed to (especially young Regina's friendship with their cook, Owuor [Sidede Onyulo, soon to be seen in The Constant Gardener]). As well, it gets repetitive at times; one wonders whether that was done subconsciously to add to the length of the film (thus making it more epic in scope, natch), or whether it was just a few editing oversights.The film's biggest drawback is that, well, it's set in the Kenya bush country and the cinematographer took next to no advantage of that fact. Huge pan shots of country are seen only when absolutely necessary to the story; no leeway at all is given for panning out at the end of a scene, contemplation of Mount Kenya, you name it. If it's not on the page, it's not in the movie.There is much here to like, and the story is told well, albeit more slowly than it could have been (without slow having the benefit of leisurely here). One wonders, idly, how this could win Best Foreign Film and the superior Rabbit-Proof Fence got completely glossed over by the Academy. Worth a rental. ***