November 20, 2002

You’ve probably never heard of Caroline Link…

She’s a 38-year-old German filmmaker whose last three films have all won awards from critics here in America and across the globe.   Her latest film, Nirgendwo in Afrika aka Nowhere in Africa, is Germany’s nominee for the Best Foreign Language Oscar this year.  And it will probably be the film that gets her some work in America, assuming she wants some.

This is a movie that kind of sneaks up on you.  It’s kind of by the book at first.  A Jewish family leaves Germany, anticipating the Nazi’s actions.  They head to Kenya, where the husband gets a job running a farm.  Beautiful landscapes, a lanky black cook/housekeeper who is wise beyond any foreigner, a wife who hates the dirt, heat and lack of community and a precocious little girl.  The film is nicely shot, but it pretty much feels like a second-tier effort. 

But like the characters in the film, this changes, bit by bit by bit.  Link has a tendency to try a little too hard with camera movement at times, but she more than makes up for it will a deft touch in handling her characters. 

The “precocious” daughter, Regina, quickly becomes the center of the film, functionally and emotionally.  While her father’s relationship with their cook, Owour, is respectful and her mother’s relationship is disrespectful, her relationship is immediately trusting and loving.  Owour is the grandparent she left behind…. someone who loves and cares for her without limitations or expecting anything in return.  With the constantly shifting sands of fate and turmoil in her parents’ relationship, Owour is her rock. 

Of course, the other relationships in this family are also important and Link does a good job with those as well.  Link uses a subtle but sure hand to move in and out of these lives. 

A little research turns up the fact that this is a biopic based on the autobiography of the little girl, who grew up to be a writer.  This makes a lot of sense.  But unlike most biopics, Nowhere in Africa has a feel for real life, not just the moments of drama.  As much as some of the true life events are cliché, it never gets cheesy.  There is a reality to the sex, to the lack of sex, to the differences between African and European culture, and even to the step of this young girl into puberty.  How Link got her skin to break out at one point is well beyond me… I can only assume it’s not German CG.  (Ha Ha.)

Nowhere in Africa reminded me of a popular South African film from last year, Stefanie Sycholt’s Malunde.  That film centers on the relationship of a young, precocious boy and an older man.  And they both grow in the process of opening themselves up to someone who was from a different social plane.  Nowhere in Africa expands well beyond that, giving us three characters who are approaching Africa in three very different ways.

As much as I liked Nowhere in Africa, it’s no City of God.  But there are theorists who feel that City of God is going to be too much for Academy voters to deal with emotionally… too much violence, too much ugliness.  If they are looking for warmth and beautifully crafted look at a beautiful land, Nowhere in Africa may be just what they are looking for.

(Check out the official website here)

READER OF THE DAY:  THE FANGED ONE writes:  “please tell your readers to stop sending you e-mails about how groundbreaking the "Star Wars 2" DVDs are.  Many other companies--including Pixar, Sony, and DreamWorks--have been transferring movies to DVDs straight from digital sources such as computers and digital video.  The movie plays better on TV than it did for me on the big screen, so I'd recommend it to interested buyers.  However, the extras are no different from what other DVD sets offer--again, nothing earth-shattering.  I agree that it's silly to bash Lucas incessantly, but it's also silly to defend the man as if he could do no wrong.”

And this from BE STILL HIS HEART:  “Dave, I appreciated your Women We Love story, as I, too, am a lover of women on-screen. One thing you’ve overlooked is what a phenomenal year 2002 has been for women in film. I would argue the greatest ever.

Many years, there are hardly five lead performances from women to nominate. (Think about lightweight or insignificant movies like Bridget Jones, Chocolat, Marvin’s Room, Music of the Heart, Love Field, Blue Sky that have won Best Actress nominations).

This year, women have lead roles in a huge portion of the critical and commercial movies in the fall, but looking back the roles and movies have been strong all year. To wit: spring movies starring Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie, Jodie Foster, and Cameron Diaz.

Granted, most of these stink, but at least there are some roles for women instead of more stupid movies from Robert DeNiro, John Travolta, Eddie Murphy and Vince Vaughn. The sleeper hit of the year, Greek Wedding, follows the bride-to-be_s arc with the groom in the typical gf role. 

Summer slowed a bit but saw strong female-lead movies from J Lo, Kirsten Dunst, Diane Lane, the ensemble from the Ya-Yas.

The late summer and fall have given us The Good Girl, Secretary, Banger Sisters, Abandon, Frida, Truth about Charlie, Femme Fatale, Reese W vaulting to the A-List with Sweet Home Alabama, the stunning quartet of White Oleander actresses, and Julianne Moore_s revelatory turn in Far From Heaven.

Even in action movies, women are finally more than just gfs: Kirsten Dunst was integral to the success of Spider-Man, the year’s biggest movie, and they are selling Halle Berry as the co-lead in the new Bond.

And look at what December holds: Zellweger and CZJ in Chicago, the power trio from The Hours, Personal Velocity, and romantic comedies firmly centered around Sandra Bullock and J Lo, rather than Hugh Grant and Ralph Fiennes.

All in all, after years of talking about women making strides vis-`-vis men, it seems to be happening, now if we could just address the salary and behind-the-camera disparity.”

E ME:  If only…