A One Mann’s Movies review of “Io Capitano” (2024).
Italy’s nomination for last year’s International Film Oscar, “Io Capitano” is as topical as hell in charting the perils faced by African migrants in trying to reach Europe, lured by the promise of a “better life” (as seen on Youtube, Tiktok, etc!)
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Seydou (Seydou Sarr) lives in the Senegalese capital Dakar with his mum and family. Poor but happy he wants to be a recording artist in the West with his cousin Moussa (Moustapha Fall). The pair secretly save money in order to fund a crossing to Europe.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: NR. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong violence, threat”. As reported on the BBFC website, there are scenes of torture in the film, but the violence was not as extreme as it could have been, or as I expected it to be.)
Talent:
Starring: Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Ndeye Khady Sy.
Directed by: Matteo Garrone.
Written by: Matteo Garrone, Massimo Ceccherini, Massimo Gaudioso & Andrea Tagliaferri. (Plus 7 other “collaborating writers”)..
Twitter Handle: #IOCapitano.
Running Time: 2h 1m.
“Io Capitano” Summary:
Positives:
- A gripping narrative. Literally edge of your seat stuff.
- A superb starring performance from Seydou Sarr.
Negatives:
- The third reel didn’t engage quite as much as the first two reels.
Review of “Io Capitano”:
A slow motion car crash
The script gives us a long period of set-up in Dakar for us to really get to know the two friends and to explore their motives and fears. These are not ‘asylum seekers’. They live in a poor but loving family environment: a pair of dreamers, wooed by online content and thinking that Europe offers them a chance to better themselves. A ‘contact’ angrily warns them about the journey, telling them that many die en route. He also tells them that the streets are not paved with gold and many die “in the streets” when they get there. Although Seydou is scared and in listening mode, Moussa convinces him that the old man is crazy and doesn’t know what he’s talking about. It’s a powerful scene and foretells (what we already know, but they don’t) of the perils that lie ahead.
The movie is well directed by Matteo Garrone, who has to corrall a huge number of Supporting Artists who all do a very good job.
Death march through the desert
The film is beautifully shot (cinematography by Paolo Carnera) with memorable images of the straggle of ‘customers’ being led through the Saharan landscape (these scenes were largely shot in Morocco I believe). Surreal dream sequences are deftly woven into the story and really make a strong impact.
An astonishing debut adult performance by Seydou Sarr
You cannot fail be impressed by the performance of Seydou Sarr in the lead role, playing the naive 16-year old. It’s effectively a debut performance: he’s been in one film before – “Fifi Martingale” in 2001 – but must have been a baby! The amount of expression he gets into the performance is astonishing. He starts the film a boy and ends it a man and you really believe it. I’d go as far as saying that, just like Barkhad Abdi achieved for his role in “Captain Phillips“, this was an African actor that deserved proper awards recognition from last year’s round.
Hateful characters
Above all, the film leaves you with an utter hatred of the teams of unscrupulous people who are trafficking all of these unfortunates for money. They are the ones who should be rounded up and tortured until they “gave the number” of their bosses… who should in turn be tortured until the whole evil empire is destroyed. I’ll pour the wax!
The ending is superb – but weaker than the set-up
What stopped this being a 5-star film for me was that the ending. Additional explanatory comments in the Spoiler section below the trailer.
Summary Thoughts on “Io Capitano”
This will probably make my “Films of the Year” list. It is a gripping tale that makes you really care about the characters and makes you appreciate the humanity behind the headlines. With jaw-droppingly beautiful scenary, this is a film that makes you really appreciate good cinema. Highly recommended.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Io Capitano”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6fLvLN2EqM .
Spoiler Section
Don’t read past this point if you’ve not seen the movie.
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NO, SERIOUSLY!
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For me, the ending of the film felt a bit too saccharine and ‘Hollywood’. It’s a car-crash film but without the car crash. While the final couple of minutes are both uplifting and moving, I felt that a darker ending to the film would have made it better.
Also, the reunion between Seydou and Moussa felt implausible in the chaos of Tripoli and stretched my credibility too far.
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