Great movie, warm and bittersweet. It somehow reminded me of

My Life as a Dog (1985) because it more or less deals with the

same issues, but we move from the Swedish North to the sunny

Brazilian South. Beautiful colors, great acting--Josue and Dora

make a wonderful pair and they really foil each other out. Almost

starts dragging a little before the end, but it picks up again. I highly

recommend.

In reality, there are a finite amount of interesting story lines to tell. What makes one movie telling the same storyline more worthwhile to see is a combination of creative expression, in depth character development, superb acting, exquisite photography, and believability, or the ability to persuade the moviegoer to suspend disbelief.

How many times have we been exposed to a retelling of Shirley Temple's Heidi, where a young non-related child falls into the life of an old curmudgeon, and teaches that curmudgeon to enjoy life and/or develop morals and values? Too many times for me, so I was reluctant to see this film. It would have been a shame had I not.

There are many creative twists and turns along the way to keep the suspense level up in this film. The photography in Rio is OK, but once out in the Brazilian countryside, it is fantastic. At the end of the film, there is little doubt but that the way this story turns out is how it would have had to turn out. The character development of Josue is a little weak, but that of Dora is superb. And you will see a lot of films before you will see an acting performance like Fernanda Montenegro's as Dora again.

This movie thankfully is not overly sentimental, that would get in the way of the story, it is just a great film to watch and enjoy. 9 of 10.

Central Station has a great virtue - after you see it, it becomes a part from yourself. it sounds strange but it is more than a film. it is just an experience. simple, seductive, touching, realistic, discovering social isles, powerful feelings, inventing, in cruel honest manner, a world having the axis a not ordinary friendship. Fernanda Montenegro and Vinicius de Oliveira. this is all. a station and its letters, a meet and a long and special trip as start to define yourself. the film is one of the most impressive examples of the talent of Fernanda Montenegro.her Dora is far to be a model. but only a fascinating character who start as embroidery of expectations, frustrations, fear and need of comfort. more than a story, the film propose an admirable, useful parable. and a good support to reflect about every day experiences. at the first sigh.