Capernaum Review: A Child's Plea for Justice
8.5/10 — Capernaum (2018)
Pros
- Zain Al Rafeea's astonishing performance
- Raw realism
- Compassionate storytelling
Cons
- Relentlessly bleak
- Awkward courtroom frame
Twelve-year-old Zain, living in the slums of Beirut, sues his parents for bringing him into the world. The film uses non-professional actors and follows Zain’s struggle to survive and protect a baby he befriends.
What works
Zain Al Rafeea is extraordinary, and the film’s street-level realism is vivid and unsparing. Labaki avoids easy answers and doesn’t turn poverty into spectacle, and the film is deeply moving.
Where it falters
The courtroom frame is awkward, and the film is relentlessly bleak, with an abrupt ending.
Verdict
A powerful, harrowing drama made with compassion.
