Tsotsi tells the story of a young South African man who leads a small gang of thieves who prey on the wealthy looking people from neighbouring communities. He lives in a shack in the slum but travels to the more salubrious suburb to find his victims. The plot begins as one of the most well-trodden in cinema history, a thug/gangster who will go through experiences forcing him to re-evaluate, but before long the story goes in an unusual direction, involving a newborn and a botched car-jacking. The story itself is effecting and culminates in an emotional crescendo, but it's the presentation of the journey that stands out.
The production is set apart from the crowd by the shooting and the score. It consistently looks beautiful, with a few standout, poster worthy moments. I found it interesting that they could have made it really grimey but didn't. A handful of shots were framed perfectly and communicated so much. Director and cinematographer were clearly focused on delivering visual storytelling and mood placing - which is always a great thing.
Also, the lead performance from Presley Chweneyagae is a real achievement. He spends some short time at the start of the film playing the thug, but quickly becomes much more humanised.
Easily recommended.
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