Peek-A-Moose There is no doubt that this movie has a number of pluses. Most importantly, it honestly looks at a unique situation concerning World War II and the persecution of Jews by Hitler. This Jewish family which escaped Nazi Germany only finds themselves trapped in the vagaries of World War II, which follows them to Africa. I will not go into the plot, but it is well developed with wonderful acting, cinematography, directing and a perfect musical score. This has become one of my favorites and certainly deserved the awards it one, including Best Foreign Film, and was certainly a much more entertaining film than "Chicago," which one the Best Film at the Academy Awards in 2003.

Raveesh Shenoy This movie evokes a lot of emotions and thoughts in your head and based on how provoked you are, this masterpiece can range from great to astounding. This is a stunning depiction of the dynamism that the human mind displays in extreme circumstances. A smart lawyer from Germany, aware of the perception of the Nazis towards the Jew, has a grim anticipation of Nazi cruelty towards them. He sets of to Kenya, where his friend would set him up as the caretaker of a farm and this sets the stage for his wife and daughter to flee Germany and live a meager life as against certain death in Germany. What ensues then is a stunning interplay between the perspectives of the husband and the wife. The wife has led a lavish lifestyle back in Germany filled with dinner parties and posh gatherings and the husband a smart lawyer who deeply cares about the family and cannot stand being helpless as the Nazis tear apart the Jew. In Kenya, the family has to interact with locals, manage the farm and make their daughter's life a very happy one. The evolution of these characters throughout the film is as brilliant as the characters themselves. The authentic emotions the daughter experiences is extremely touching and has been portrayed brilliantly in various situations. This film also gives glimpses of the Kenyan life through their interaction with farm caretakers. This movie is about hard decisions, grief, poverty, desperation, love, family and attachment. It addresses Nazi cruelty in a very different and indirect way, through the emotions displayed by those who flee Germany. This movie will put your mind through situations that make you think about a lot of things important to your life and will leave a mark on your forever.

MartinHafer I am sure I'll alienate a lot of viewers out there, but I didn't particularly like "Out of Africa" (1985). While the film looked really nice (especially on the big screen), the story itself was not all that satisfying. Part of this is because I learned about the real events portrayed in the film and they were HEAVILY altered by the author, Isak Denisen. Plus, you never really got to know the Africans themselves--they were more like a part of the scenery than real people. Plus, and this is a biggie, I just didn't care about the characters.In light of this, I really, really enjoyed "Nirgendwo in Africa" ("No Where in Africa"), as it did not suffer from these same plot problems and yet was also set around the same region of Africa. While there was some decent scenery, this film focused much more on characters and was much more enjoyable--though I also must admit that the film may not appeal to everyone because its pacing is a bit slow and deliberate.The story begins in 1937. A Jewish man has recently moved to Africa from Nazi Germany. Now he can finally have his wife and young daughter join him. While it's lonely there in Kenya, at least they were able to avoid the direct horrors of the holocaust. Interestingly, much of the film is told from the viewpoint of the daughter and it's nice to see her sense of wonderment over this strange land as well as her fast acceptance of new ways and people. Her parents, in particular her mother, does not adapt so quickly--nor is she able to see the Africans as real people--at least as first.This brings me to something I liked about the film. Although the girl was a very sweet person (bright, decent and not at all superior in her behavior towards the locals), the parents had much more serious flaws. The mother's are very apparent at first, though over time you can see the father's as well. This made the film more believable as they were flawed...as we all are.Overall, while this film covers about a decade in time, it does so in a manner that does not seem episodic nor uninvolving. You really do come to care about the folks and it's like you are an unseen part of the family--with them as well as with a few of the natives. A sweet and extremely well made film. My only reservation at all is that the film has some sexuality and nudity in it. I didn't find it all that sexy, but it's probably not something you want to show to younger viewers. With teens, use your common sense, but it's probably okay for older teens. Highly rewarding and I can see how this film managed to take the Oscar for Best Foreign Language movie.

NED WYNN I did find Nowhere In Africa more absorbing upon a second viewing. It's sneaky. When I watched it a second time, I felt more at ease with the characters, and because of that I found myself able to absorb myself in their problems (and in the way they see them) more completely and to imagine their lives much more fully. Yet this film, beautiful as it is, is more a narrative string, a series of scenes, than a drama. It's not that there is a shortage of drama in the idea - or ideas, for there are many - it is just that the drama is not concentrated on any of the various story lines that keep tantalizing us. They tantalize but are never realized, at least not to the full extent they could have been. The director should have taken one or two of the themes she has here and delved into them much more thoroughly. What we have are a number of interesting sketches but never a full canvas. That does not mean that the movie is without its moments (the brilliant young German daughter speaking with the British school headmaster was one such moment, wonderful), but as a viewer I kept wanting more out of each relationship, both between the humans, and between the humans and the place itself. Too much of the film is a kind of mystery without any solution. The shorthand the director uses to tell us her story feels more like an outline for a movie than a real movie. It's a beautiful trailer that goes on for 140 minutes: time aplenty to have told us a really great story. Nonetheless, I do recommend this film. It is visually quite stunning, and the performances are universally good. A solid 3 stars.