Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

chaos-rampant I turned this off halfway through so I can't tell you what it does overall, you can turn to the rest of the comments here for that. It's described as a humanistic film, so I will only offer here a small comment on the tools used in the effort to humanize us.It's about a young thug eking out a life of violence in the South African jungle, about a world where life means nothing. It begins to that effect with a subway holdup and a family man gutted for no reason. The way it's made is that we have this calloused boy thrust in successive visions that soften the steely gaze and humanize: some unfold in present time, some with the air of vision, others in flashback to his childhood home. It's a fine structure, and one I would love to see in a way that softens the hard edges of reality to bring yearning to the fore in a real way. One memorable moment has him envision himself with family. But it's all blunt here (in the portion that I saw): a baby, a homeless man, an abusive father who breaks the dog's back. Its bluntness is not that it's too real, and this is exactly why I turned it off. It's the movie cartoon version so any redemption that would be in store for us later would feel phony to me. Yes, we see a world of abject poverty, but it's the airbrushed construct. So I don't feel that I have entered this world as it truly is, I feel someone's hand prying for my emotions. This is as real as Leon, I'd rather have Gloria myself.

Akoberwa Margaret A universal tale of redemption set in an African ghetto, brilliantly told and brilliantly acted.Based on the novel by Athol Fugard, TSOTSI is the tale of a hardened, heartless career criminal whose life is suddenly complicated by an unexpected development from a 'job' gone wrong. As he deals with this new complication to his life which must remain a secret from his gang and neighbours, he is forced to confront his past as well as his destiny as he sees it. In the process, he remembers his humanity to do the right thing by everyone.This was a very powerful story, brilliantly acted by the largely first time actors. Brilliantly realised by the production crew from the spellbinding adapted Screenplay by Gavin Hood.It deserves all the accolades it received and more.

Graham Lawrence The male lead has an uncompromising glower, and that is the extent of his repertoire. With his gang and his glower he stalks through shanty town, striking terror into the townsfolk? Actually no, derision, they're jeering at him. Camera concentrates on his glower, what will this badass of all badasses, this gangsta's gangsta, do to reduce these sniggering jackals to a state of grovelling terror? In that time-honored gesture of defiant helplessness, he raises his middle finger to them. That's the first descent into bathos.Gang on subway, glower spots victim flashing paypacket, gang surround him, glower skewers him with skewer to heart, Train stops at station, and every other person in the compartment gets off, and no one gets on. Total improbability number 1.Gang in bar, member upbraiding glower, apparently offing folks is a new departure for the gang. Glower beats upbraider to a pulp, then flees in terror through the night and the undergrowth and the pouring rain. His rain (or tear) streaked face keeps being interspersed with that of a lookalike young boy, tear-streaked. What do we have now? A psychopath with a conscience? Total improbability and descent into bathos number 2.Glower emerges in the suburbs. Car drives up, garage door won't open, woman gets out to call her husband on intercom. Glower takes car at gun-point. Woman objects, glower blows her away. Woo-wee, we're back in psycho mode again! 30 seconds later, baby in back seat wakes up and starts crying lustily. Glower stops car, we witness his inner torment, and find ourselves on our knees before the screen, hands clasped in supplication and imploring "Please, please, just once stay in context, will you. Just pick the kid up by the scruff of the neck and toss it out the window". Not a chance; now we get total improbability and descent into bathos number 3. Glower decides that all he's ever really wanted is a 2 month old baby to love and care for.At this point, ten minutes into the movie, I tossed it. It was either that, or my cookies.

gavin6942 Six days in the violent life of a young Johannesburg gang leader (Presley Chweneyagae).This is a film about violence, crime and redemption. I am unclear what to make of it. The lead character was not likable, and his redemption hardly makes up for his crimes. So, not sure if I should applaud the film for its sincerity or be disappointed that the hero is not heroic.I did appreciate the contrast of rich and poor. One could easily make the point that the rich were bad guys and the poor were good guys, or at least exploited and oppressed. But that was never apparent. In fact, the wealthy man is the victim here and we have no reason to dislike him simply for his wealth. And although we may feel bad for the homeless, there is no reason to side with them.There was also a constant theme of AIDS in the background, though I am at a loss to explain what purpose it served.