Hi everyone!
I can’t tell you how great it is to have Keith as a regular contributor to the podcast. His tastes are diverse and he enjoys access to a huge number of films living in Philadelphia, which are difficult to find in most areas, and today’s film is no exception. He’ll let you know his thoughts in a minute, but you can check out our other Oscar nominees searching on #Oscars2019 or using the Oscars 2019 blog tag at onemoviepunch.com. You can also check out Keith’s other reviews for “Shoplifters” (Episode #394), “The Wife” (Episode #403), and “Mirai” (Episode #408).
Take it away, Keith!
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Hi, Philly Film Fan here with another review for One Movie Punch. You can follow me on Twitter @PhillyFilmFan.
Today’s movie is “Capernaum”. Nadine Labaki directed the film and she also co-wrote the screenplay with Jihad Hojeily and Michelle Keserwany. “Capernaum” is only the second film from Lebanon to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, after last year’s “The Insult”. And it has already won the Jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, which is basically third place.
No spoilers.
Much has been made of the migrant crisis in Europe but the five countries hosting the largest number of refugees are Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Iran, while the next five are all in Africa. “Capernaum” takes a hard look at the status of refugees in Lebanon and the poverty that surrounds them. Labaki is committed to telling the stories of these displaced people and she creates a documentary-like sense of realism by casting mostly non-professional actors. Many of these actors are real-life refugees, such as Zain Al Rafeea, a Syrian refugee, who plays the protagonist, also named Zain. Another major role is played by Yordanos Shiferaw, an Ethiopian refugee, as Rahil, a young mother who Zain encounters on his journey.
“Capernaum” begins in a courtroom where Zain is suing his parents for giving him life. Zain’s existence as a refugee living without papers is so wretched that he is asking for the law to step in, admonish his parents, and stop them from having any more children. They already have more kids than they can keep track of, they don’t even know how old Zain is. This case becomes a framing device for the film and as the judge questions the parties involved we get flashbacks showing us how the family arrived at this point. It’s an interesting concept and I give them points for originality but the device doesn’t really work and ends up feeling unnecessary. The flashbacks are where the real heart of this story can be found.
In the flashbacks, we see exactly how deep the dysfunctions in Zain’s family go, and we aren’t surprised when he eventually runs away from home. On his journey, he encounters Rahil, a young Ethiopian refugee caring for her newborn son. She is undocumented and working illegally at an amusement park where she has to hide her baby during her shift because she’s not allowed to care for him while she’s on the job. Rahil immediately sees in Zain a sweet young boy who has been neglected and her mothering instinct takes over. She invites Zain to stay with them and drafts him into service as a nanny while she’s at work, despite the fact that Zain appears to only be about 12 years old, remember nobody knows for sure. For a time they create a safe space for themselves and you get a glimpse of what the world could look like if we’re willing to fully acknowledge the humanity of refugees and other desperate people.
“Capernaum” is a beautiful film that can be difficult to watch. The actors give naturalistic performances that highlight the suffering of refugees and those living in poverty. If it wasn’t for the clunky framing device, this could have been a true masterpiece.
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 75
One Movie Punch: 7.5/10
“Capernaum” (2018) is rated R and is currently playing in theaters.
This jawn was brought to you by Philly Film Fan. For more movie reviews, follow me on Twitter @PhillyFilmFan where I’m participating in the #365Movies challenge. That’s P-H-I-L-L-Y-F-I-L-M-F-A-N.
