Episode 91 - Capernaum

[00:00:16] Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

[00:00:20] Welcome to Movie Mistrial.

[00:00:22] The podcast where we debate the accuracy of IMDB's top 250 movies of all time.

[00:00:28] My name is Johannes.

[00:00:29] And I'm Raji.

[00:00:30] Today, we're stepping into a world that feels worlds away, but is a stark reflection of a reality we often choose to overlook.

[00:00:38] For your survival against all odds, set in the unforgiving streets of Beirut.

[00:00:45] Capernaum.

[00:00:46] Capernaum, directed by Nadine Labaki, is a raw, unflinching exploration of poverty, neglect, and the resilience of a child who dares to question the life he was given.

[00:00:55] The film won the jury prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

[00:01:04] Before we delve into the heartbreaking journey of Zayn and discuss the choices that led him to sue his parents for giving him life, I have to ask, Johannes, how are you doing today?

[00:01:14] I'm doing pretty well.

[00:01:20] I got my cockroach man suit on and ready to go.

[00:01:26] But no, in all seriousness, I'm doing pretty well.

[00:01:30] We're going through Babylon 5.

[00:01:32] We just finished season two.

[00:01:35] And it's fascinating how...

[00:01:39] Like, this is a show from the 90s, right?

[00:01:41] But it's like how apropos and how on topic it is right now.

[00:01:46] Because there's like so many similarities to all the conflicts in the world right now.

[00:01:51] So, it's been fascinating to see that and to see, you know, humanity doesn't learn.

[00:01:58] I mean, it's a testament to great writing of shows if they can foresee the kind of troubles we could be seeing in the future.

[00:02:05] And shows that can do that seem to be the ones that are most likely to succeed in terms of long-term viewing.

[00:02:13] Yeah.

[00:02:14] Yeah.

[00:02:15] Yeah.

[00:02:15] And I mean, I think like conflicts never end.

[00:02:20] People will always have conflicts because there's always people that want to have gain over other people.

[00:02:27] But it's wild that it's...

[00:02:32] Yeah.

[00:02:32] Like realizing this is clear, but it's also kind of depressing realizing this.

[00:02:37] Right.

[00:02:38] How are you?

[00:02:39] I'm well.

[00:02:40] I'm well.

[00:02:40] I mean, before the podcast started recording, I was watching a Newcastle game where we just about won the game.

[00:02:50] 2-1 against Wolves.

[00:02:52] And that was quite the game, to be fair.

[00:02:57] Nice.

[00:02:58] Another great thing that is happening is I finally caught up with my show.

[00:03:01] I don't know if you've heard of the show.

[00:03:03] It's called Toast of London.

[00:03:05] And it stars Mark Berry playing Toast.

[00:03:09] Steven Toast.

[00:03:11] An actor who is very unaware of who acts in the field.

[00:03:17] So every single time somebody comes and says, hey, have you heard of Steven Spielberg?

[00:03:21] He goes, whoo!

[00:03:25] And the show is one of my favorite British shows.

[00:03:29] So we've caught up on the new season based on America.

[00:03:34] America.

[00:03:34] And it's been interesting.

[00:03:36] I think one of the weird things about the season is that every time he goes, he goes and he asks everybody, he's like, I'm in a new Star Wars movie.

[00:03:44] And everybody's like, oh yeah, sure.

[00:03:49] But yeah, it's been generally good.

[00:03:52] Nice.

[00:03:53] Nice.

[00:03:54] Yeah, we also, what did we watch?

[00:03:57] We watched Rome because we were kind of going through the big hallmarks of HBO television.

[00:04:04] Gotcha.

[00:04:05] Rome.

[00:04:06] Kind of disappointed in Rome.

[00:04:07] Really?

[00:04:08] Yeah.

[00:04:08] Did you watch?

[00:04:09] Have you seen it?

[00:04:10] I saw it.

[00:04:11] Yeah.

[00:04:11] I don't know.

[00:04:12] It just feels so disjointed.

[00:04:15] And they're teleporting all the time back and forth.

[00:04:21] In the second season, they just randomly change one of the main actors into an older one, but everybody else stays the same age.

[00:04:29] Yeah.

[00:04:30] I don't know.

[00:04:31] It felt very rushed towards the end because they needed to wrap it up.

[00:04:37] Yeah.

[00:04:38] I don't know.

[00:04:39] I know it's been a thing, this whole Roman Empire thing.

[00:04:43] Watching the show, I'm like, I'm over it.

[00:04:46] I don't think about the Roman Empire too much.

[00:04:49] Oh, really?

[00:04:49] You do?

[00:04:50] I do.

[00:04:51] I do.

[00:04:52] I think about the Roman Empire a lot.

[00:04:54] In fact, sometimes I fall asleep listening to the Roman Empire and the fall and decline of the Roman Empire.

[00:05:01] So, yeah.

[00:05:02] Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who does.

[00:05:06] Huh.

[00:05:06] Talking about the fall of empires, this movie was, the effect of this movie is directly linked to the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

[00:05:16] Hmm.

[00:05:17] In the 19, after First World War.

[00:05:20] And the breakup of the Ottoman Empire into different fragments, even though the Ottoman Empire was already dying inside little by little and corruption was moving into the Lebanese region.

[00:05:31] There was a lot of, what do you call it, resourcing that came from other regions like Iran to help facilitate this particular region.

[00:05:42] And once the Roman Empire broke up into all the small pieces, some of them could sustain themselves better than others.

[00:05:49] And Lebanon can't.

[00:05:53] So, yeah.

[00:05:59] Yeah.

[00:06:03] I remember last time we talked, we both haven't seen this one before.

[00:06:07] Right?

[00:06:08] Yeah.

[00:06:09] And I remember your text that you sent me before I have seen it.

[00:06:13] That was just, that set the mood for me going in.

[00:06:19] I don't know if I should have sent that text, but I kind of, I was watching the movie and I couldn't believe what the hell I was watching.

[00:06:25] It was a, it was a bundle of depression.

[00:06:29] Yeah.

[00:06:30] Yeah.

[00:06:31] Yeah.

[00:06:31] It just doesn't, doesn't end really.

[00:06:33] Um, but yeah.

[00:06:35] So to pick everybody else up, because I don't know if lots of people have seen this.

[00:06:40] Let's hear a synopsis.

[00:06:42] Capernaum is a powerful drama directed by Nadine Labaki that tells the story of Zayn, a 12-year-old boy living in the slums of Beirut.

[00:06:50] After being imprisoned for committing a violent crime, Zayn decides to sue his parents for bringing him into a world filled with suffering and neglect.

[00:06:58] The film takes viewers through Zayn's heartbreaking journey of survival, as he faces extreme poverty and takes on the responsibility of caring for a young refugee child.

[00:07:07] Capernaum is a raw and deeply moving portrayal of the harsh realities faced by marginalized children, highlighting themes of resilience, family, and the struggle for dignity amidst adversity.

[00:07:20] Capernaum.

[00:07:22] Capernaum.

[00:07:23] Capernaum.

[00:07:24] I'm not entirely sure how we even pronounce it.

[00:07:26] I've been going Capernaum now.

[00:07:29] Capernaum.

[00:07:29] Um, but.

[00:07:31] I'm sure somebody would let us know if we're wrong.

[00:07:34] Yes, yes.

[00:07:35] Uh, I'd be curious to see where we land on a, uh, argument side of things because it's, it's really, I, yeah, I don't know.

[00:07:45] I don't, I don't, I don't, I do not know what to expect from, uh, your arguments.

[00:07:51] So, um, let's go flip a coin.

[00:07:56] I've known heads.

[00:07:58] Heads it is.

[00:08:00] Um, okay.

[00:08:01] Well, I think I'm going to argue for the film.

[00:08:04] All right.

[00:08:06] Sounds good.

[00:08:07] Want to dive right in?

[00:08:08] Sure.

[00:08:09] Let's do this.

[00:08:10] And the witness will address this court as judge or your honor.

[00:08:13] Your honor.

[00:08:15] Capernaum.

[00:08:17] Um.

[00:08:19] My argument might be a little weird, but.

[00:08:23] I think a film that takes us two hours, that is.

[00:08:27] Two hours of dread and just suck.

[00:08:30] Should not necessarily end with happy ending.

[00:08:34] And I feel like this movie is doing that twist where everybody sort of kind of has a happy ending.

[00:08:40] And I think it's not doing the two hours we spent with this film justice.

[00:08:46] Strangely enough.

[00:08:46] I think we need, uh, in, in order to drive the point home that this world and kids, um, are suffering.

[00:09:01] Um.

[00:09:01] Um.

[00:09:02] We should not have kind of this, this hero story.

[00:09:06] And like he.

[00:09:08] He's this regarded kid now.

[00:09:10] Kind of, kind of thing.

[00:09:11] And then the, the mother against all odds.

[00:09:15] The mother being reunited with her child.

[00:09:18] Seems also a little far-fetched.

[00:09:21] And, uh, I know it's kind of a weird position to take.

[00:09:23] But, uh, that somewhat ended the movie for me on a, on a bitter note.

[00:09:29] Because I think you, you want to drive the point home that not every story is a happy story.

[00:09:36] And not every story ends happily.

[00:09:38] And I feel like everything that we've seen in this film is leading to that point.

[00:09:44] Only to then take that emergency exit.

[00:09:46] And I was not a big fan of that.

[00:09:49] Uh, another thing that I wasn't really a big fan of is, is about, uh, there's a lot being made about, uh, him suing his parents.

[00:10:00] But that's not really resolved in any way, shape, or form.

[00:10:04] Um, so, that framing device is completely falling flat.

[00:10:09] And that's my main argument.

[00:10:14] I think it's very interesting, your perspective on the film.

[00:10:17] Um, I think my, um, arguments would be along the lines of the fact that, you know, the movie tells ones to shed light on the harsh realities of life as a refugee.

[00:10:33] Mm-hmm.

[00:10:33] Um, and the difficulties of, um, because their family is a Syrian refugee.

[00:10:40] Uh, Syrian refugees from the war.

[00:10:43] Um, and they are stuck in Beirut as refugees.

[00:10:48] Their life is, um, totally, um, encompassed by a lack of productivity.

[00:10:56] Um, the dad is caught up in a world of, what do you call it, of depression.

[00:11:02] He doesn't do anything other than make kids.

[00:11:06] Um, and we get to see the world from the perspective of Zane, who, um, who unfairly is placed into this world where he has no control of what he, um, of his fate.

[00:11:21] Um, and he has to become, um, street smart, um, and try to, um, navigate the world in as way, in as best a way as he can.

[00:11:32] Um, he, we see all the brutal realities.

[00:11:36] The fact that he grew up too quickly.

[00:11:39] He understands all of the sexual nuances that are going on around him.

[00:11:44] How he tried to protect his sister, um, the moment she had her, um, initial period, for example.

[00:11:53] And he knew the consequences of that.

[00:11:56] And rather than have the parents protect her, he, uh, 12-year-old kid had to be the one to protect his sister from all the misgivings of his parents.

[00:12:08] Um, one of the other things that I have to say is that the way that the director captures the world is very realistic.

[00:12:16] It feels like, it's somewhat like when we saw Parasite and, you know, we were watching, um, them in the lower corner of their house.

[00:12:24] And, you know, it starts to rain and we see how the rain, uh, goes into their house and the effects of the rain on the lower, um, side of the world.

[00:12:33] That is how it felt, but it was even more intensified.

[00:12:38] You could see all the corners, every single street.

[00:12:41] You can see, um, the, the effects on the refugees, how difficult it was to get a job or how difficult it was to move around.

[00:12:52] Um, and, you know, the interactions between all the characters also kind of gave light to the brutal reality of what was going on too.

[00:13:00] Um, and in all honesty, the most effective thing this movie has tried, has been able to do is just show the brutal reality of life.

[00:13:09] That we take for granted, um, and portray Zane, um, in the best of, of light as being a guy, a young kid, kid.

[00:13:23] Well, it's a guy, he's a kid who tries to survive all the difficulties of all of that.

[00:13:28] Um, and if we want to gauge this movie on such, um, a poignant methodology of portraying that, then I think the movie was effective in doing so.

[00:13:41] Hmm.

[00:13:45] Um, again, I think the, a lot of what you're saying rings true because it is telling a story that is ultimately like super depressing.

[00:13:54] And that's also what you said, maybe a text where it's like, oh, this depressing from beginning to end.

[00:13:59] Um, and again, I, I feel like I'm not fully agreeing with that sentiment because the ending is not like everybody is getting there.

[00:14:10] Oh God, it was resolved positively for them.

[00:14:12] Um, and I think the, like the big lesson, I think we're supposed to gleam from this.

[00:14:20] Um, it's like, life is not fair, right?

[00:14:25] Um, only when it's filmed, then every now and then people can have a fair, um, outcome.

[00:14:33] Um, that the mother is, is able to, to have her kid at the airport, like be reunited with that kid is so far fetched.

[00:14:48] Um, in my opinion, it's so, um, like to, to make that connection seems to be very, very hard.

[00:14:55] Um, but of course if you're like, oh, you know, yes, she gets her kid back because it's so, it's so unfair.

[00:15:03] Her life, you know, she doesn't deserve being separated from her kid.

[00:15:08] Um, she just wanted to, to have a good life, but it's, but I think, I think this movie is more effective if we get that keeping,

[00:15:18] getting these gut punches.

[00:15:22] Um, because that really lets you take a pause and lets you think about your privilege in a way.

[00:15:30] Right.

[00:15:31] And, and, and I think, uh, it, the movie is giving us an easy out, not thinking too much about this because everything is resolved in a positive way.

[00:15:41] Anyway, he gets his, uh, status and ID.

[00:15:45] She is reunited with, with her baby.

[00:15:48] And I suspect they're being deported, but that's kind of alluded because it looks like they're at the airport.

[00:15:55] Um, but, but the, the end result is kind of a, whew, okay, I feel good about this.

[00:16:03] Um, but I think it's the wrong feeling you're supposed to take from this.

[00:16:08] Um, well, it's not the wrong feeling you're supposed to take from this because it's what they're giving you, but I feel like it's the wrong feeling you should take from this.

[00:16:18] Because I think sometimes we just need to be pushed into areas that are uncomfortable.

[00:16:26] Yeah.

[00:16:26] And, and those areas of uncomfortableness could have been achieved by just having this be a movie that sucks in, in the best kind of way, right?

[00:16:38] Because it makes you think, but I think it's, it's giving us the easy out and, um, that's unfortunate.

[00:16:44] Um, I should also point out that the, um, the, the lady who, who Zane meets at the circus, who was a cleaner and a cook, was also quite, um, well, um, portrayed.

[00:17:00] Um, the fact that, you know, she got to become a kind of mother to him after he got lost, um, is kind of, um, depicting a,

[00:17:13] a sort of, um, um, how would you call this?

[00:17:19] A pact amongst people who understand.

[00:17:23] She noticed that he is in a position of suffering, um, and she leans in to try to help.

[00:17:31] Um, and when she gets arrested, he doesn't just immediately run away.

[00:17:36] He does his best for a few days, um, I would even say some weeks, um, to try to take care of her son and, um, and himself.

[00:17:48] Um, and, you know, the fact that they were able to show, um, such grace to each other, despite the circumstances,

[00:17:58] it's kind of like an untold, um, agreement amongst people who go through this kind of situation.

[00:18:05] So the, the way the director, um, expressed that kind of, um, display of camaraderie was quite, um, was quite beautiful in a way.

[00:18:17] But this movie was also very unrelenting in its portrayal of depression.

[00:18:23] Or should I, I mean, in fact, I probably wouldn't call it depression.

[00:18:27] I just think it would probably be like the brutal reality, harshness.

[00:18:32] I think harshness is even a better word to describe it, of the situation that they're in.

[00:18:37] It's like, no, it was, it was unrelenting.

[00:18:40] And almost every single character we saw was going through some sort of, um, um, difficulty in their life.

[00:18:48] And they were being opportunistic in their, in their ways of trying to solve this problem.

[00:18:53] Um, in a sense, the movie is one note until the very end.

[00:18:58] From the very beginning to the end, it was just one note.

[00:19:01] And if this director was charged on making a social commentary on the, the, the difficulties facing, um, people who are refugees, um, and letting us at least give some, at least some emotional empathy to us, some empathy to us, people who are going through this.

[00:19:23] I think that she has been able to achieve that, uh, significantly.

[00:19:29] Yeah, I think the, the fascinating thing is, right.

[00:19:34] Um, everybody has their own struggles and there's, there's a, there's a, uh, there's a graph of, of, um, kind of impact, not impact.

[00:19:50] Right.

[00:19:51] But, but kind of, um, like how much are you struggling?

[00:19:54] Where, what's your, your geopolitical situation?

[00:19:58] What's your social situation?

[00:20:00] Right.

[00:20:00] There's like so many things you can plot to kind of figure out, okay, I'm struggling with this.

[00:20:06] And this is for me currently my biggest hurdle.

[00:20:08] Right.

[00:20:09] Um, of course it doesn't compare to what millions of people are, are, um, dealing with.

[00:20:17] Right.

[00:20:17] And, and, and again, this is, this is something that this movie really brings to the forefront

[00:20:23] of like, um, I think more than anything it's showing, it's, it's showing your privilege

[00:20:30] and your, your struggles in contrast to what these characters are going through is nothing.

[00:20:38] Right.

[00:20:39] Um, but like your, your struggles are still kind of valid for in, in your own kind of center

[00:20:47] of it all.

[00:20:48] Right.

[00:20:48] Like, um, that doesn't invalidate your, your personal struggles.

[00:20:52] I think, uh, the, the interesting thing is that, uh, when you were talking, it's, it,

[00:21:03] it does bring to the forefront kind of the, the, the current refugee crisis and fear and

[00:21:11] kind of misinformation and all that, um, that is going on in this country.

[00:21:17] And it's like, like watching this film is like, okay, can we, can we get some empathy first

[00:21:27] of foremost?

[00:21:28] Right.

[00:21:29] Like, like nobody wants this, that, that's kind of the thing.

[00:21:32] But, but again, you're like, if you're coming from, from a place of privilege, you don't want

[00:21:37] to give that up.

[00:21:38] I think it's kind of the, the thing.

[00:21:40] Right.

[00:21:40] So, so again, um, I, I feel like this, this film is catering to the people that want to

[00:21:50] maintain that status quo and want to maintain, I don't want to give up what I have, but these

[00:21:58] characters get, get, get what they want at the end.

[00:22:01] So I can feel fine.

[00:22:02] And again, I've, I've, I think that's the biggest flaw in this film.

[00:22:06] Yeah.

[00:22:07] Um, I don't have much more to add on the positive side.

[00:22:11] I don't mind going into the sidebar.

[00:22:12] Okay.

[00:22:13] After this.

[00:22:14] Overruled.

[00:22:15] Sidebar.

[00:22:15] Guilty.

[00:22:16] Speculation.

[00:22:16] Here.

[00:22:16] Say.

[00:22:17] Bailiff.

[00:22:17] Briefcase.

[00:22:17] Disregard.

[00:22:18] In my chamber.

[00:22:18] Stop beaver on the witness.

[00:22:19] I rest.

[00:22:20] We could totally be lawyers.

[00:22:21] All right.

[00:22:22] Sidebar.

[00:22:24] Okay.

[00:22:25] Um, yeah, this movie was, um, was a very hard film to watch for, for sure.

[00:22:30] And I don't, I don't, I don't envy anybody who puts a significant amount of time to go

[00:22:38] through this.

[00:22:39] I don't think it's a movie that I can watch again, but I will say this.

[00:22:43] The point you made about the ending was the, was like the most annoying part of the film

[00:22:48] for me.

[00:22:49] It's basically, we've gone through this whole period and you're just going to give us a

[00:22:54] happy ending.

[00:22:55] The kid goes out and he gets to survive.

[00:22:57] He doesn't ask about the, this parents anymore.

[00:23:00] The woman who we've been told several times that if she declares her kid, the kid will be

[00:23:07] taken away somehow, somehow just.

[00:23:10] They find her in the airport just as she was about.

[00:23:13] How did they even know it was her kid?

[00:23:15] You know?

[00:23:16] So I, I think because there was a scene with her and Zayn and in some sort of office and

[00:23:21] he was, he was explaining.

[00:23:23] Oh, he was talking about the guy.

[00:23:24] Yeah.

[00:23:24] Brown eye and blue eye.

[00:23:25] So I think that was the connection there, but then.

[00:23:30] But there were many kids in that.

[00:23:31] Well, I guess he must have been the only black kid, I guess.

[00:23:35] I'm not.

[00:23:36] It's so unlikely that that's the problem.

[00:23:39] It wasn't the cops that brought it to her.

[00:23:42] Right.

[00:23:42] The baby to her.

[00:23:43] It was some.

[00:23:44] Some sort of humanitarian.

[00:23:44] Yeah, exactly.

[00:23:45] The humanitarian side.

[00:23:46] So it was like, it doesn't make any sense how we jump from that particular view to

[00:23:52] that ending.

[00:23:54] I think it raises too many questions rather than, it raises too many questions, basically.

[00:24:03] I also felt like the movie was a little bit, I mean, it was harsh, but I could also say that

[00:24:12] it was manipulative in a sense.

[00:24:16] The, the, the, the woman, one of the things that I started to notice was that in every single

[00:24:23] scene, there were tears rolling down her eyes, every scene, almost every scene that she was

[00:24:28] playing, there were tears.

[00:24:30] And I was like, man, I get that she's sad and all of that.

[00:24:35] No, no qualms about that.

[00:24:37] But man, you're on the phone and you're crying.

[00:24:39] You're on cooking and you're crying.

[00:24:41] Everything is like the kid, she's crying in every single scene.

[00:24:45] I mean, there's nothing wrong with being, being able to show like the difficulties of this

[00:24:52] harsh reality that you're in.

[00:24:55] But I felt like the crying was that extra step to make me feel emotionally manipulated to

[00:25:05] empathize with her.

[00:25:07] And I felt it was overused.

[00:25:10] That's, that's basically, I mean, one or two, two times, that would have been cool.

[00:25:18] But man, almost every scene she was crying.

[00:25:21] And the last thing is probably the pacing.

[00:25:25] I mean, the movie is very long on a topic like this.

[00:25:32] And there was the only shining light was the very end.

[00:25:36] I mean, the movie started with the kid getting arrested.

[00:25:39] There was no, there was no, there was no point of, of, of joy.

[00:25:45] And the moment, you know, the closest we got was when she first met him.

[00:25:50] And she had, he had somebody in his life who would take care of him.

[00:25:53] But that was even fleeting because moments later she was arrested.

[00:25:58] And we had to watch a kid take care of a baby.

[00:26:02] It was very, very difficult to watch.

[00:26:05] And the grim reality was just unrelenting from start to finish.

[00:26:09] I think that could be off-putting for people who are interested in watching this film.

[00:26:12] Yeah, yeah.

[00:26:13] I was wondering how this movie hits you as a, as a parent.

[00:26:16] Because I think it's probably even, even worse, right?

[00:26:20] Yeah.

[00:26:22] It's, yeah.

[00:26:23] I think especially the very beginning when we're looking at the, the, the girl or who was just going through her period.

[00:26:30] And within moments of that, she became somebody to be sold.

[00:26:36] I think that was very, very difficult to watch.

[00:26:39] And I think I had to stop the film a few times to go like, what the fuck, what the hell am I watching it?

[00:26:45] It was so hard.

[00:26:46] I couldn't, I mean, I mean, I, I can understand.

[00:26:50] But then at the end of the movie, the woman was justifying everything she did.

[00:26:55] And I was like, look, if you were putting my shoes, you would do the exact same thing.

[00:26:59] Would we do the exact same thing?

[00:27:02] I'm not entirely sure.

[00:27:03] Because all she wants to do is just give birth.

[00:27:07] She wanted to give birth.

[00:27:09] She was doing drugs, sending drugs to people in prison at the beginning.

[00:27:14] They were selling the opium, washing it into the clothes.

[00:27:17] She was putting all her kids through those lessons.

[00:27:20] To the point that the kid was learning to do that towards the end, to make money to survive with the baby.

[00:27:27] So it's like, man, it was justified for the kid to ask, like, why the hell would you want to have more kids?

[00:27:36] And then she comes in and she says, if you have a kid, it's going to be named after your sister.

[00:27:41] Who, you know, that was, it was just like, oh, man, poor parenting.

[00:27:47] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:27:48] Yeah.

[00:27:51] The standout is kind of the resiliency, right?

[00:27:54] And the street smarts that you mentioned.

[00:27:57] It's amazing how quick he picks up on super small clues that are like red flag city.

[00:28:06] And he's like, no, I'm not going to just give you this kid for your money.

[00:28:11] Like, I understand this is like a big inconvenience for me to take care of this baby.

[00:28:16] And I'm not really able to do this, but I'm not giving it to you.

[00:28:23] Fascinating.

[00:28:23] And that he immediately also picked up, you know, the ramen and licorice is a grooming technique.

[00:28:33] That he picked up on that immediately.

[00:28:36] And it's like, no, we're not doing that.

[00:28:38] That is not happening.

[00:28:43] But yeah.

[00:28:45] Yeah.

[00:28:45] Again, it's like the happy ending that we get.

[00:28:51] They're not even fully committing to that because is there any other consequence for the parents?

[00:28:56] Is there any consequence for the shop owner?

[00:28:59] For any of the shop owners?

[00:29:01] I mean, I think the one was arrested.

[00:29:03] The one that bought the baby.

[00:29:04] Yeah.

[00:29:05] Yeah.

[00:29:07] What is the consequence of the lady getting deported back to Ethiopia?

[00:29:11] Where she never even had any opportunities in the first place.

[00:29:15] Now she's going back with a kid and no money.

[00:29:18] Yeah.

[00:29:18] Yeah.

[00:29:19] But the consequences of the dude that he stabbed for the shop owner.

[00:29:24] Is there any consequence there?

[00:29:26] We don't know.

[00:29:27] Right.

[00:29:27] So we don't even get the full.

[00:29:29] Like if you want to twist this around into, well, happily ever after, everybody gets what

[00:29:35] they want.

[00:29:36] We don't even get the gratification or not.

[00:29:40] We don't know of what's going on with all these other characters.

[00:29:45] And that's the frustrating thing.

[00:29:46] I think that the most frustrating thing is the ending because it's just so noncommittal.

[00:29:55] Yeah.

[00:29:55] I mean, it's committing to so much in this film.

[00:29:58] It's committing to, to the harsh realities, but then it's not committing to the ending.

[00:30:07] The interesting thing about the movie is that the kid in the movie is called Zane too.

[00:30:12] So the kid who plays Zane, his name is Zane.

[00:30:17] And out of the film, after the movie was made, he was taken to Norway, I believe.

[00:30:23] Okay.

[00:30:24] Because he was literally, he was literally portraying himself in this film.

[00:30:30] It was a kid who had to deal with street smarts and eventually got the role in this movie.

[00:30:36] He was sent to Europe.

[00:30:38] I'll say Europe because I'm not very sure where it was, but he went there and he got,

[00:30:44] sent to school.

[00:30:45] So he's a little bit more intelligent.

[00:30:49] I said intelligent.

[00:30:50] He's a little bit more educated now.

[00:30:55] And he's, he was, he was an actor in the Eternals film.

[00:30:59] I think he played a villager or two.

[00:31:01] So at least he's getting some exposure when it comes to Hollywood.

[00:31:04] But the truth about it is there are many, many kids who never get anything like that.

[00:31:09] So just because you are lucky enough to be in a Hollywood, a movie that was released in Hollywood does not guarantee that your life will get better overall.

[00:31:19] Yeah.

[00:31:20] Yeah.

[00:31:20] And I mean, he has very good instincts as an actor, like great performance of it.

[00:31:27] And I mean, there had to be lots of improv, especially when he was interacting with a baby, but the baby was also like very, very interesting how they were able to capture these beautiful moments between the two of them.

[00:31:41] Absolutely.

[00:31:42] It's been a nightmare to film, to be honest with you, but you've got the good moments.

[00:31:47] Right.

[00:31:47] Oh yeah.

[00:31:48] Yeah.

[00:31:48] I'm sure.

[00:31:49] But yeah.

[00:31:50] So that's Capadon.

[00:31:52] Yeah.

[00:31:53] It's, it's another one of the films on this list that are a one and done.

[00:31:58] Yes.

[00:31:58] I don't think I need to watch this again.

[00:32:00] Totally agree.

[00:32:01] I mean, what do you feel like it deserves to be on this list?

[00:32:03] I don't think so.

[00:32:05] I, I think because it's such a specific kind of film.

[00:32:09] It's very specific.

[00:32:10] Yeah.

[00:32:11] It's such a specific kind of film.

[00:32:13] It's like, it's not the kind of film that can, you have to be aware of a scenario like this and they exist all over the world, but you know, but they exist in different flavors.

[00:32:24] Because I'm not entirely sure that this movie is as relatable as to be number 250 on this list.

[00:32:34] I think I agree.

[00:32:35] I agree.

[00:32:37] It's, it's visually beautiful.

[00:32:40] It's well done, but I think it would deserve more to be on this list had they done the right ending.

[00:32:48] I agree.

[00:32:49] I think maybe, yeah, maybe I think the ending also, um, the ending also kills it in a sense too, because the ending was a bit of a cop out.

[00:32:58] So in a sense, I agree with you.

[00:33:00] Yeah.

[00:33:01] Yeah.

[00:33:03] Anyway, another film, I don't think, I have not seen it.

[00:33:07] I don't know if you have.

[00:33:08] The next film on this list.

[00:33:10] Come and see.

[00:33:13] I haven't seen, um, I haven't seen it yet, but the cover of the movie is very interesting.

[00:33:19] Yeah.

[00:33:21] It's, uh.

[00:33:22] Is it a German film?

[00:33:23] I think it's a Russian film.

[00:33:25] Oh.

[00:33:27] I think I've had, um, experiences with Russian films.

[00:33:30] They've been, they've been, a lot of them have been quite nice to watch, to be fair.

[00:33:35] Oh, geez.

[00:33:36] In the IMDb trivia, live ammunition was used in the film.

[00:33:41] It is a Russian film.

[00:33:42] Oh.

[00:33:44] Oh, man.

[00:33:45] Really?

[00:33:47] Live ammunition?

[00:33:49] Oh, God.

[00:33:51] So, so that's, that's framing that film for us, uh, going in.

[00:33:54] Until then, though, where can people find us?

[00:33:57] They can find us on X, on, uh, at Movie Mistrial.

[00:34:01] They can also find us, us on Instagram and Facebook at Movie Mistrial.

[00:34:05] Um, but you can also send us an email to...

[00:34:08] Contact at MovieMistrial.com

[00:34:11] It's been a good episode.

[00:34:12] Yeah.

[00:34:13] And, uh, I need a cleanser.

[00:34:15] Yeah.

[00:34:15] You guys, uh, have a good rest of your week.

[00:34:18] Yeah.

[00:34:18] Take care, everybody.

[00:34:19] Bye.