Central Station (Fernanda Montenegro, Vinícius de Oliveira) 1/2
The other day, a group of us acting types were gathered around a bonfire, and the topic came up of child actors. Basically, the theory was that no movie that has ever had a child actor was all that good. We came up with a few exceptions, but some were dubious at best. For the record, 1998's Central Station blows the theory out of the water.
It stars the fiesty Vinícius de Oliveira in a shockingly mature and controlled performance as Josue and Oscar-nominated Fernanda Montenegro as Dora. To call Central Station a road picture might be oversimplifying it, particularly since they hitch rides and don't have their own vehicle, but nevertheless it is a movie about a special journey.
One day, Josue and his mother dictate a letter to Dora, who works at Brazil's subway station as a letter-writer. Dora doesn't think much of the letters she transcribes -- those she disapproves of are ripped up before they are even mailed. She also doesn't think very much of the little she knows of Josue's drunkard father, but as the movie progresses we learn there are some parallels between Josue's situation and her own childhood. Tragedy befalls Josue and so, after trying to sell him to a suspect adoption agency, the stern Dora grudgingly takes him across the country to find his real father.
The connection between the stubborn Josue and the even more stubborn Dora is a constantly volatile one. Dora is, understandably, a closed woman. Her metropolitan experiences have shaped her attitudes and actions. Josue is a blunt child who optimistically believes his father to be a good carpenter who works hard to provide for his estranged son. What's so rewarding about these two characters is that their growth and acceptance of each other is far from gradual and far from easy for either of them.
Not since 1959's classic Black Orpheus have I seen so successful a mix of the urban and the rural vistas of Brazil. This isn't a picture about elaborate technical work; it is about the people, the land, the beliefs, and the social norms. All are experienced by and hinge entirely on the two lead actors, in what I can only call swansong performances. Director Walter Salles allows a lot of breathing room here, and the end result shows a great deal of dynamic interaction and raw expression filtering through. This is smart of Salles, because we tend to forget the plot is one we may have seen before.
It isn't easy to like Dora, but by the end of the picture, we begin to understand why she acts the way she does. We also start to feel her future decisions will be less lop-sided, and she may take the time to open her heart to others. Transportation in many different forms is the basis of Central Station and by its conclusion, we too have been transported to another place and to another part of our souls.
Footnote: My sister walked into the room when I was about two minutes into the movie. "Is it all like that?" she asked, referring to the subtitles. When I said yes, she said, "I'm out of here." But she waited a minute or two, and then stayed for the rest of the film. How's that for a movie that gets you involved?
