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I've been watching too many heavy movies lately.  I think I need to cancel out all this weighty subject matter by watching You Got Served again real soon. To wit:

Tsotsi arrived in my mailbox last week, and last night I finally got around to watching it.

According to Netflix:

This Oscar-winning Best Foreign Language film shows that no soul is too
far gone from being reformed. After shooting a woman and driving off in
her car, Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae), a ruthless thug, is surprised to discover he isn't alone, kept company by a crying infant in the backseat. He grudgingly takes the child home,and through his efforts to care for the tyke, Tsotsi slowly rediscovers his compassion, self-respect and capacity to love.

Despite the heavy subject matter, I found Tsotsi to be one of the most hopeful films I've ever seen.  Tsotsi, a heartless gangster who lives in a South African township, runs with a gang of violent thugs who commit horrible crimes in order to survive. For "Boston," one of the the gang members, taking a life means nothing.  For another ("Teacher") it forces him to confront the meaning of "decency." One night after a particularly brutal crime, Teacher asks Tsotsi if he has any decency left in him. Tsotsi responds by beating the crap out of him.

Then comes the turning point: Tsotsi hijacks a car with an infant in the back seat. He can't return the baby without being caught, and yet he knows he can't care for it.  Babies cry.  Babies need to fed and changed.  Babies seriously cramp a gangster's lifestyle.

Yet it's through caring for the child that Tsotsi begins to confront his tragic past—the past that has led to this violent life—and re-discovers the meaning of decency.

The movie touches on deeper themes: HIV/AIDS, poverty, marginalization, equal rights, class issues. These themes weave in and out of various characters' lives and form the underpinnings of the movie. The director, Gavin Hood, uses the themes to give us sense for what life is like for the characters, but it's a restrained presentation. His style is never preachy or "in-your-face." Hood brings the movie together beautifully in 90 minutes, and it ends the only way it can.

Tsotsi is powerful, emotional and well-shot with superb performances all around. Add Tsotsi to your Netflix queue today.

Tsotsi, directed by Gavin Hood. Rated R.

Contributing Editor Stefania Pomponi Butler blogs CityMama and contributes to KimchiMamas.