Oscar Preview (Part One) is on its way. But first…

Just got back from a sneak peek at Tsotsi, which I’ll soon be calling a spoiler for the Best Foreign Oscar race. When it won the People’s Choice Award at Toronto basically out of nowhere I was a bit surprised. Having seen it, there’s little else I saw at the fest that could measure up.

Best if you know as little as possible. Tsotsi is a thug (the word means “thug”) living in a shantytown in South Africa. Go. The journey the movie takes you on from there is at once brutal (seriously) and poignant and it would give too much away to tell you what other sentiments it arouses.

Writer/Director Gavin Hood was at the screening, and he revealed that he approaches film from the world of photography. It shows. Each shot is composed and lit beautifully. We’re in Conrad Hall territory here, but with a little more grime.

However, none of these elements would matter if not for the performance of the lead, Presley Chweneyagae. I pity the performers who would have to compete with him in a Best Actor competition. The whole movie doesn’t work if you don’t buy his arc, and that arc is all in his face. You could watch this movie with the sound off and still get all the beats in his eyes. That’s hard.
Keep an eye on this kid.
Did I mention the soundtrack is fucking awesome?

Tsotsi drops limited on Feb. 24th.

Oh, also met this guy at the screening. Check out what he’s doing for black film in Philly.