First Reviews for Tsotsi are speeing in. It seems very heated, as some reviewers love it passionately, and the man who didn't called it cliche, generic, and misguided.

The trailer was atrocious and sappy, but I have a sense its for marketting issues, as I read an article months ago about how edgy and "authentic" (whatever that may mean in modernized Johannesburg) the narrative is.

I can't wait to see this next weekend, and I hope the approval holds up and is merritous. I have hopes this will take the Import Oscar this year.

Did you ever see it, Galia?

I liked it quite a bit. It's a bit manipulative and sappy, but the direction, cinematography, and acting are all pretty brilliant. And despite it's manipulative nature, it still manges several moments of true power.

I saw it opening weekend. The week before the Oscars, to get the review up before it won (I knew it would).

http://www.worldofkj.com/reviews/Galia/Tsotsi.php

I guess agree with what you say, but for me, that's just not quite good enough...

And I thought I was picky.

What would be good enough?

That have won the best foreign language film of the year?

Barbarian Invasions [2003]
Nowhere in Africa [2002]
No Man's Land [2001]
Life is Beautiful [1998]
Antonia's Line [1995]

That just in the past ten years, and that I've seen (I didn't see last year's for example).

Oooo. I misunderstood. I thought you meant not good enough for you to enjoy the film.

Yeah, I agree it wasn't Best Foreign Pic material.

I liked parts of it. It was still "fresh" in my book, but barely so. I gave it a B-, where my cut-off for not-so-good is C+. I didn't mind watching it once, but there's nothing new a second viewing would bring to me. It wasn't complex enough, and I found the pacing and editing near the end to fall apart compared to the grittier feel of the beginning. Got a bit too slow and sappy for me.