Capernaum

I heard whispers of two films that are unmissable. This was one, and finally i understand the praise. Its exceptional in every way. A staggering piece of film-making that is seering in it's depiction of true to life circumstances that will tilt your perspective of life - to reveal a life that is occuring right now elsewhere that will humble you, destroy anyone's sense of what life is - anyone who is priviledged enough to watch it on a screen. I simply cannot wrap my head around how the lead actor - all of 11 years old, and a 1 year old baby can hold the viewer in their grip so astonishingly. I should really leave it a while to absorb what I've just seen, all i know is my throat is closed tight, and its mark will probably not leave me tomorrow or the day after that or at all. This is perhaps one of the most remarkable movies that from the outset leaves the impression that you are watching a documentary with no scripted actors at all. The landscape is something I am familiar with having lived in the Middle East and the poverty and desperation is something I've only glimpsed but this ... this is as real as it gets. My heart has been blown apart ... as far as I am concerned, this is not a movie but a depiction of a existence that will leave you moved to the core. Why this didn't win the oscars ... ? Perhaps it would have caused too much of a stir to to discuss this subject - I mean let's get real - a subject of life that needs all our attention.

How the director conjured this performance from the boy playing Zain is nothing short of a mystery: so much poise, presence, charisma, range from an actor who can't yet be in his teens. He's at the center of a story told with passion and flare, which makes this nearly a perfect movie for anyone who believes film should make you feel something more than shock and awe, which is the limit of the bazillion dollar superhero fare dominating current movie-making. Capernaum is gripping, propulsive, shocking...but also deeply moving. And that boy...just wow.

A desperately sad story of how life for a 12 year old is in the slums of Beirut. Difficult topics to talk about but portrayed amazingly well by superb actors and beautifully directed throughout. Thoroughly recommended.

My favourite movie. Hearth breaker.Realistic and emotional Capernaum is the best movie of 2018

It's the missing question in the often heated debates about child poverty - I hear it all the time in my own country (UK) - has it risen? Should the government be doing more to help? How can a developed country tolerate children growing up in squalor? The question that is never asked, that is in fact completely taboo to even suggest, is why are people living in poverty having children? And is that moral?It is the question asked by Zain, the protagonist of this superb film, who decides to sue his parents for having him. Having endured a lifetime of neglect, abuse and poverty he thinks no, and asks the court to prevent his parents from having anymore children.That sets the film rolling, the vast majority of which takes place in flashback as we see how Zain ended up in court. Along the way we see the grim reality of life in the slums of Beirut, as Zain eventually decides to run away after his parents sell off his older (11 year old) sister in marriage to their landlord. He ends up living with an undocumented Ethiopian migrant who lives in a shack with her baby, and Zain ends up looking after the child while the mother works. This provides a counterpoint in many ways to the earlier scenes, as the threesome establish something akin to the warm loving home Zain had never known. But yet again, the films forces us to ask - why has this woman had a child? Though employed, she lives in squalor, and as an illegal migrant her child will never be able to get an education, as a local people trafficker trying to persuade her to sell the child reminds her. Is this moral? Does her right to have a child trump that of the child's right for a decent start in life?The films develops from there, though I cannot reveal anymore without spoiling the final act. Though this isn't really a plot-driven film per se, more a slice-of-life look at Zain and how he deals with the situations life throws at him. This film reminded me very much of 'Salaam Bombay', Mira Nair's 1987 film which deals with street children in Mumbai.It's a brave film and the only other film I can think of which tackles this issue is Ken Loach's 'Ladybird Ladybird', in which an impoverished woman with a chaotic home-life repeatedly gets pregnant. There I think Loach approached his protagonist from a more sympathetic perspective, seeing her as a victim of an unfair economic system and social forces beyond her control. Though I may be misreading her intention, Nadine Labaki takes this further and asks - is it basically selfish for people in these circumstances to have children?Personally speaking - should the government (whether in rich or poor countries) be doing more to alleviate poverty? Yes. Is the economic system both within and between states currently too unequal? Yes. If you are stuck in poverty, dealing with poor mental health, drug addition, illiteracy, malnutrition, slum-living condition - that sucks, and is unfair. But one thing you should not be doing is bringing children into that situation and thereby perpetuating the cycle of misery. Yes, some children rise above their circumstances, but the vast majority don't, and are thereby condemned to a miserable life through no fault of their own. It's the height of selfishness. This is the provocative question Labaki and Zain pose in this engrossing film.

I found this to be a truly honest, real, emotionally gripping movie about a 12 year old boy imprisoned for a crime. The story unfolds through flash backs focusing on Zain's events in his life leading up and contributing to the conviction. All credit to Labaki who co-wrote and directed this film. I can see why it had been nominated for so many awards in 2019.

The is a raw real life out there which those of us with creature comforts from since in our mothers women can never comprehend. The film has shown us the reality of the countries that exist in this world. Zain a brilliant child actor, Yousef was just a natural. It breaks my heart that many children along with their families suffer from rough and unmerciful poverty. Every country leaders have a responsibility to the care of its people. This is film has truly made me grateful from my life and has open my heart to realistic reality of planet earth.

I watched this simply because of the reviews and it was one of the most compelling films i have ever seen, The acting is incredible, particularly Zain. If you want an easy watch or a happy film this is not for you but it shouldn't be missed.