This is a movie of great subtlety and depth for most of it's length. The wordless exchanges between Samson and Delilah are sweet and touching, and Delilah's love and care for her grandmother are equally affecting. The cinematography is superb making the most of the desolate environment (both in the township and the city.) The title characters' descent into substance abuse is portrayed in a non-sensationalist way and the the undercurrent of racism is understated, and more powerful for that. (The cardboard cut-out villains in "Australia" lacked any sense of realism and hence any resonance.)
Where this movie fails to convince is when dialogue intrudes, particularly in the second half, Two words can speak volumes (the gallery owner's "Not interested" when Delilah offer him a painting) but whole sentences from the alcoholic aborigine under the bridge strike me as false. The upbeat ending is implausibly optimistic, but it at least allows some respite after the relentlessly grim preceding events. A very good movie despite its imperfections
Where this movie fails to convince is when dialogue intrudes, particularly in the second half, Two words can speak volumes (the gallery owner's "Not interested" when Delilah offer him a painting) but whole sentences from the alcoholic aborigine under the bridge strike me as false. The upbeat ending is implausibly optimistic, but it at least allows some respite after the relentlessly grim preceding events. A very good movie despite its imperfections