Central Station (1998)

“Dora” (Fernanda Montenegro) used to be a school teacher, but now she sits at a table in the station in Rio de Janeiro and writes letters for the illiterate traveller for a few réals a time. She thinks little of a woman and her young son who stop by, except perhaps that he isn’t the most trusting of boys, but when a tragedy promptly befalls this pair she finds herself being asked to write another letter by the young “Josué” (Vinícius de Oliviera) - who’s still fairly suspicious that she never posted the last one! This one is to his dad in a remote town but what is he going to do, alone and penniless, in a city fraught with danger? Despite the fact that she is initially as keen to be shot of him as he of her, the two begin a journey that they hope will reunite him with his father, but that will certainly see these reluctant companions push each other’s buttons as their meagre funds barely stretch to the bus fares. If they ever do make it, what chance they will find and reconcile with his dad, or - for that matter - will “Josué” even recognise this man he has yet to meet? I’ve got to say, I’ve rarely seen a more engaging chemistry on screen than that on display here between these two. Montenegro is a natural - not just at portraying her own character but at gelling, convincingly, with an Oliviera whose mischievous urchin becomes an hugely charismatic personality that grows throughout. The road trip element serves to cement their relationship as you might expect, but it also shows us a little of life in Brazil’s fairly poverty-stricken and undeveloped interior as well as the decency of it’s population. This is a story that tells us of a significant episode in the lives of both of them but it’s incomplete and I found that to work really well, especially as it doesn’t contrive to create unnaturally melodramatic or histrionic scenarios. It’s underpinned by some skilfully written dialogue that provides for some characterful humour amidst the earnestness as they each wise up to the other and the all but two hours provides a personable and entertaining love story that’s poignant and really quite charming.