Rent Central Station (1998)

A touching and welcome respite from City-of-God style portrayals in Brazilian film - Central Station review by CP Customer

Another great film from Walter Salles, Central Station is extrememly watchable with great chemistry between it's main characters. It follows the search for young Josue's father after the untimely death of his mother, but really works beautifully upon such a simple plot. Recommended.

Next Stop: Heartbreak (with Hope on the Platform) - Central Station review by griggs

This had been glaring at me from the shelf since the 4K restoration landed, and I’m mildly ashamed it took me this long. The new transfer is gorgeous — grit, heat haze, the colours of everyday Brazil — it all pops without making the film feel embalmed. I mostly knew Walter Salles and Fernanda Montenegro from I’m Still Here, so it was a proper treat to see her holding the whole thing together with that calm, iron grip.

Montenegro’s Dora starts out as a hard-edged operator at Rio’s Central Station, writing letters for strangers and skimming what she can. Once she and the boy hit the road, it turns into a genuinely lovely road movie: steady, patient, and very aware of just how big the country is. Salles keeps the emotion honest by letting awkward silences and boring little hassles do the job.

It’s a redemptive story and it works, even if the very end leaves a faintly sugary taste. I can imagine an older, colder Salles pushing it one notch harder. Still, the performances sell every turn, and when the film finally lets tenderness in, it lands because it’s quiet and real. Not a magic flip — just someone deciding to be better.

Road Movie with a Difference - Central Station review by CW

This is a film I can return to at various times. A very real "feel good" film fully grounded in reality.