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Central Station

Play trailer Poster for Central Station Released Nov 20, 1998 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Bitter former schoolteacher Dora (Fernanda Montenegro) supports herself by taking dictation from illiterate people in Rio de Janeiro who want to write letters to their families and then pocketing their money without ever mailing the envelopes. One day, Josue (Marília Pêra), the 9-year-old son of one of her clients, is left alone when his mother is killed in a bus accident. Reluctantly taking him in, Dora joins the boy on a road trip to find his long-missing father.

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Central Station

Central Station

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Critics Consensus

Director Salles transcends road-movie clichés and crafts a film that is as moving as it is universal.

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Critics Reviews

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Globe and Mail Rated: 4/4 Mar 19, 2002 Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times As beautiful as it is wrenching. Rated: 4.5/5 Feb 14, 2001 Full Review Janet Maslin New York Times Salles directs simply and watchfully, with an eye that seems to penetrate all the characters who are encountered on Dora's and Josue's journey. Rated: 4/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Aaron Homem PopMatters Central Station highlights the masses’ resilience while romanticizing their economic condition and environment. Jan 27, 2023 Full Review Phoebe Flowers Miami Herald A masterpiece of sincere emotion. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 5, 2023 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com What separates and elevates Walter Salles' film above the familiar neo-realist type of melodrama is the stylized visual style and Fernanda Montengero's stunning performance. Rated: B+ Aug 9, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Nayara d Eu era criança quando essa linda pérola foi lançada. Ainda me lembro da sensação de deslumbre frente a algo tão bonito feito pelas mãos humanas. Lembro ainda do orgulho de saber que aquilo fora feito por pessoas do meu paaís. Direção, elenco, roteiro, trilha sonora..., tudo em perfeita sintonia para falar de um Brasil profundo, complexo, nuançado, que sorri, que sofre, que luta, que erra e que acerta. Fernanda Montenegro é simplesmente o maior ícone da nossa dramaturgia, e esse filme foi apenas a consagração de sua grande história no mundo das artes. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/25 Full Review Breno B The relationship that the two build throughout the film is simply beautiful, the actors manage to have such great chemistry together that I always want to see more of Dora with boy Josué. Walter Salles, thank you for directing and writing a beautiful film. Fernanda Montenegro, thank you for giving us an incredible performance because at the beginning of the film we wanted to teach you a moral lesson but in the end we just want to hug you. To the child actor, what a fabulous child who manages to be equal alongside the Brazilian legend Fernanda Montenegro, at the end of the film I wanted to cherish him too. A beautiful cohesive film full of feelings, anger, joy and melancholy, not to mention the many laughs we get when we see this duo together. Unfortunately, he was not recognized as he deserved at the Oscars, neither for film nor for actress. But in the hearts of the public, he will always be the winner of any award he competed for! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/25 Full Review Audience Member One of the best movies i ever saw. Fernanda Montenegro powerful work. A true Brasilian/Latin America story Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/30/25 Full Review Gonçalo F ALL I GONNA SAY IS FERNANDA MONTENEGRO IS THE GOAT. I LOVED THE KID IN THIS MOVIE! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/25 Full Review kirbt c Me matei chorando ao ver este filme maravilhoso. Vale muito a pena assistir. A atuacao da Fernanda Montenegro e de fazer o cu cair da bunda! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/25 Full Review Bruno M Perfectly fulfills the role of art by deeply moving its audience. The setting is spot-on, capturing the essence of Brazil at the time, while Fernanda Montenegro delivers a masterful performance, cementing her as the best actress of the year. A beautifully simple, heartfelt, and unforgettable film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/08/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Central Station

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Movie Info

Synopsis Bitter former schoolteacher Dora (Fernanda Montenegro) supports herself by taking dictation from illiterate people in Rio de Janeiro who want to write letters to their families and then pocketing their money without ever mailing the envelopes. One day, Josue (Marília Pêra), the 9-year-old son of one of her clients, is left alone when his mother is killed in a bus accident. Reluctantly taking him in, Dora joins the boy on a road trip to find his long-missing father.
Director
Walter Salles
Producer
Walter Salles, Martine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Robert Redford, Arthur Cohn
Screenwriter
Walter Salles, Marcos Bernstein, João Emanuel Carneiro
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
MACT Productions, Buena Vista International, Canal+, Videofilmes, Riofilme, Europa Filmes
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 20, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.2M
Runtime
1h 50m
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