Central Station

The film Central Station, by Walter Salles, follows an elderly woman named Dora. Dora works in Rio de Janeiro Central Station writing letters for those who can’t read or write. Its not a wealthy occupation but its helps.  One day a lady and young boy come to her stand and the lady has a letter she wants sent out. The letter is to the boys father telling him some very not nice things, while she dictates the letter and Dora writes, Josue, which from my short time in Spanish class let me know the boys name is Joshua, is pestering Dora with his top and just can’t seem to be much more than a nascence. Later in the week Josh’s mom returns to Dora’s stand and asks to revise or rewrite the letter because she didn’t want to come across as mean. Dora helps her come up with just what to say and they begin to leave. As fate, and the plot of the movie would have it a rogue run over Josh’s mom. Dora tries to ignore him at first but just can’t and decides she’ll help him, but her initial kindness takes a shocking 180 turn and she sells Josh to some child brokers on the black market for two thousand dollars. Then just as quickly as she was able to decide to turn and walk away, an attack of conscience leads her to steal Josh back and pledge to bring him to his father, Jesus. She does and it’s a sad sappy ending that’ll make any grandma of mother of a child misty eyed.

I though this was an interesting film, the fact that the boys name was Josh brought me right back to my days in middle school with Mrs. Moser. She was the first person to tell me my name in Spanish and it probably one of the 15 words I still actually remember. Back to the film though, it was long, seemed to just drag on from a while. I though the actor who played Josh was a good fit for the role, he was able to cry respectfully well and did a good job of making you kind of annoyed with him while feel sorry for him at the same time. Dora totally threw me for a loop when she sold Josh, I thought that was so cold, I never thought a sweet old lady like her would just sell off a homeless little boy like that.