Soul Boy (2010) Reviews

• Very good Kenyan film

  Zoooma2014-06-14

  Brilliant film out of Kenya about a young teen boy who is helping his dad get his soul back. It's a humbling film because of the location in the Kibera slum of Nairobi. It's an uplifting film because of the ending which displays the beautiful human kindness there still is in the world. The lead actor, a first timer, is a little cardboardy but the lead female is excellent. At just about 1 hour, it all unfolds quickly without much time to build background. Definitely no lollygagging. The story might be a bit thin but it's all so wonderful to watch. 7.8 / 10 stars --Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

• Technically impressive, weak story.

  filmforchange2010-11-22

  I watched this film in a special presentation at the Berlin Film Festival. It was technically impressive, the visuals and sound very high quality for an African-theme film. It is excellent that youth were also trained on the production. I liked the performance of the main actress, she was spectacular. The main actor, at times, felt stilted and uncomfortable, perhaps this was due to the fact that this was the first film he every appeared in. However, I found the story-line to be thin and unrealistic. It felt more European and almost like Tom Twyver's Run Lola Run but set in an African slum. Reminded me of the short film Kibera Kid, yet it lacked a certain authenticity. This may have been due to the mainly European technical crew and the influence of Tom Twyver on the production. He was the producer and the supervising director on the film and from my understanding directed / supervised the film. Overall worth seeing if interested in African films, yet don't expect too much. It's simple, well executed but not too deep or authentic.