Félicité

The strong lead actors, the lively Congolese music in the small, smoky clubs, and the bizarre dream sequences worked together to enhance this dark portrayal of a feisty woman who strives to live by her own means. What would any of us not do to care for a child in desperate need, whether mother, father, family, or friend? I could feel Felicite's panic and determination as she tried to provide for her son's care. I went a little crazy right along with her. Been to Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, but not DRC yet. Still the street scenes, the daily life felt familiar and true.

This movie appears to be quite a melting pot and rating it proved to be quite difficult for me. We have indeed, mixed in one movie:

• a modern drama in Africa, that enables to show how life is, and what kind of struggles you meet in your daily life there,
• the portrait of a strong woman, proud but cold, that can be perceived as missing some Africa vibe,
• a poem with a wonderful, very touching character, Tabu, which combines kindness, poetry, joie de vivre and loneliness, alcool and women excess. He shows a different man from the "African" stereotype as much as Felicity differs from the standard woman, in a reverse of masculine and feminine.
• and finally some art scenes, that often come out of nowhere.

On the whole, Félicité could have been shorter without loosing impact. I'll go with a 7, mainly for the story of Félicité and Tabu. Should have been the movie focus in my opinion, with Congo neighborhood, songs, Félicité's son and of course the fridge as side characters.

This film is a classic film about life in the cultural setting of the Congo. I was concerned this would be an emotionally heavy movie for no reason but it turned out to be an intriguing and at times even gripping film about life for what could have easily been one of us, a neighbor, or family member. You feel a connection to the characters and an affection for their imperfect perfections in just being people. What makes this a classic versus just a good film was the quality of the acting. In classic films where body language and relationship development are centered and words are reserved to emphasize the moment this film ensures you are watching every move of the characters as much as listening for what is said next. I'd recommend this film to anyone who enjoys the art of cinema.

+ very realistic view on Kinshasa today. I've been there a year ago and this film took me right back to the bumpy, colorful streets. the human part of the film was very real and touching. one feels like being there with them.

+ very good music. especially the Congolese songs!

• pity of the blue, arty images woven throughout the main story. for me they don't add any value, on the contrary, they make the movie 30min too long.

= overall: very good acting, real and interesting view on black Africa: it shows that third world societies are just as valuable as the ones in the western world. they look different and maybe scary to some, but we should learn from there way of life, instead of imposing our view on them.

we have what they lack (good healthcare, good infrastructure, etc) but they have what we lack: social cohesion, time and most of all: freedom!

I have seen African Movies before, far better than this one , f.i. Timboktoe, . There are great singers in Congo, too bad . I had expected much more of the movie. Also the story was boring, there could be much more. It gives a good sight on Congo today the big cities, with people hungry for money (the woman at the hospital taking the medicine) ...