Fernanda Montenegro and Vinicius de Oliveira in "Central Station."

MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a: Stars: Fernanda Montenegro, Vinicius de Oliveira Director: Walter Salles Rated: R, with profanity and brief violence. In Portuguese, with English subtitles. Length: 110 minutes

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(Feb. 26, 1999) -- In the Oscar-nominated Central Station, a cynical, 67-year-old Brazilian woman has her faith in humanity restored, thanks to an unexpected relationship with a 9-year-old boy.

Walter Salles' Brazilian film is the latest in the time-honored tradition of movies about children who light fires under recalcitrant seniors. (Gloria and Madame Rosa are just two of the many examples.) And, bless it, Central Station achieves its goal honestly and effectively, without an ounce of false bravado or silly sentimentality.

The much-respected Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro stars as Dora, a bored, disagreeable retired teacher who works in Rio de Janeiro's main transit station. She sits at a desk and is paid to write letters for illiterate Brazilians.

Though she's then supposed to mail them, she frequently throws them in a drawer at home, and later reads them mockingly to her neighbor.

One day, a woman steps up with her 9-year-old son, Josue (Vinicius de Oliveira), and dictates two letters to her estranged husband, who lives in the rural north of the country. Then the woman steps out of the station and accidentally into the path of an on-coming truck.

The orphaned Josue wanders aimlessly around the station for a couple of days, until Dora finally agrees to take him home for the night. But don't be fooled, Dora has an ulterior motive. She "sells" Josue to a black market adoption operation to get money for a new TV.

But when Dora discovers the agency has darker plans -- killing children to sell their organs -- she finally takes action. In a rash act of daring, she steals Josue back, and grabs a bus with him to get out of town.

With the shaky relationship now established, Central Station becomes a road picture with Dora and Josue traveling deeper and deeper into the dusty backwater regions of Brazil. Dora hopes to help Josue find his father.

Along the way, they depend on the kindness of strangers, including people on a bus and a religious, born-again truck driver who gives them a lift.

Of course, the closer they come to parting, the more Dora realizes how much the boy means to her. But although you might expect a big emotional ending, Central Station concludes with a muted restraint that might leave viewers slightly unsatisfied.

Montenegro is reportedly Brazil's most respected actress, and it's easy to see why. With measured skill and subtlety, she demonstrates the gradual rekindling of concern and passion in Dora. We hardly need the subtitles to get the meaning; Montenegro's expressive eyes and perfect reactions speak volumes.

Appropriately, Montenegro is among nominees for the best actress Oscar -- a rare feat for someone from a foreign language film.

Also impressive is young de Oliveira, a former shoeshine boy who was discovered for the role of Josue, and who delivers his lines and emotions with convincing skill.

Salles' direction is sensitive and artful; beyond its odyssey of the heart, Central Station also takes viewers on an insightful tour of modern, working-class Brazil.

If you only see one foreign-language film a year, go to Life Is Beautiful. But, hopefully, you won't be that limited in your viewing habits. You should also see Central Station.