This is a mix of things. One is the Italian mode about human struggle in a world of ruins and poverty, another is the gangster mode about the rise and fall of a charismatic shyster, a third is social parable on the country's fate after apartheid, with poverty giving rise to crime that is covertly redressing the social balance. I'm generally not a big fan of either of these modes, but just as I'm about to pin it down to a certain type, it shifts again, much like the wily protagonist who moves between motivations, from genuine hurt and outrage, to capricious desire to stick it to the man. The film pulls back from simply accepting him as a Robin Hood whose only motive is to give back to the poor, or as a Tony Montana who just wants to roll in riches, and in that balance lies its charm.I saw this together with (an attempted viewing of) Tsotsi and this seemed like the more multifaceted view of a place that is still in the process of healing itself, more self-aware about its world.

If this movie were shot in America, I'd give it a 7/10 because too many things are simply formulaic and not done very well. The main guy turns to the criminal life a little too easily. What happens to sidekicks #1 and #2 could come from a McBain (Simpsons) movie. The woman's explanation for why her brother is there is embarrassingly simple - wouldn't it have been better for the brother to say, "hey, this sh*t is real" to convey the same idiot attraction? Most importantly, where did the lead's main criminal idea come from? I believe something like that really happened, but there's so little hint of it earlier in the movie that it's just confusing when it happens. How could anyone come up with such a complex scheme that relies on the actions and inactions of various government agencies simply by reading very general self-help books? I'll have it both ways - I did like this movie. The points above are nits, some bigger than others. I love the depiction of Johannesberg as this crime-ridden, divided city, like "the Wire" squared. I'll stick with the 7/10, though that's unfair given IMDb's general grade inflation.

A movie that speaks to the core of the human spirit. As much as the movie is South African, anyone who has been faced with hardship will relate. Our dreams, when they shatter and fade painfully silently and the dark talents we discover in desperation for a moment to live the life we once aspired to. Seiphemo, Zekele and the supporting cast are brilliant on a script that pulls no punches, with impeccable direction. The overall execution leaves no vague on what goes wrong and how it becomes celebrated as fruits of crime are reaped and shared by even the most moral in our lives. South African cinema has moved to the next stage in evolution i.e. reflection on some of the darker sides of the new South Africa. A masterpiece.

If Jerusalema, the latest film about life in South Africa's underbelly of Hillbrow, can make a film like the award winning Tsotsi look like child's play, you need to ask yourself the question: "Why haven't I seen it yet?" Even more disturbing is that Jerusalema premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, and has already been raking in the awards.Star of the film - Lucky Kunene's motto in life is taken from an Al Capone movie "If you're going to steal ... steal big, and hope like hell you get away with it!" Like a fly on the wall, we get to watch how an innocent youth from Soweto, a victim of circumstance, turns to crime and works his way up to become the hoodlum of Hillbrow.The acting is superb and will have you engrossed in the film in no time. The script is watertight, and quite probably the most accurate account of South Africa's criminal underworld that you're ever going to see.The scary part about all of this? It's based on true events! (But don't be put off SA, this is a small part of a big country)