Central Station

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Central Station

Released Nov 20, 1998

1h 50m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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 (Vinícius de Oliveira), 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.

Critics Consensus

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

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Globe and Mail

Rated: 4/4

Mar 19, 2002

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

As beautiful as it is wrenching.

Rated: 4.5/5

Feb 14, 2001

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Salles, who also works as a documentary filmmaker, does a superlative job of bringing the realism of the streets and the countryside to this narrative fiction.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Aaron Homem

PopMatters

Central Station highlights the masses’ resilience while romanticizing their economic condition and environment.

Jan 27, 2023

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Phoebe Flowers

Miami Herald

A masterpiece of sincere emotion.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 5, 2023

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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

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Alexsander F

Belíssimo filme, viva o cinema brasileiro.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

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PEDRO M

A film that transcends in every aspect, you arrive, see the film with enormous expectations, and it manages to surpass all expectations, the only film that I write a review for, because it is the only film that I see as having such importance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/15/24

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Alyfe kaleb S

um dos melhores filmes que eu ja vir,fernada montenegro tava perfeita amei

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/10/24

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Roger W

One the most beautiful cinematography in history of cinema. The eyes and the emotions is super realistic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/05/24

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Graham Y

One of my favourite movies ever. It is so frustrating that it is not available anywhere in the UK for streaming. I would love to see it again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/11/24

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the greatest cinematic works in history, which through an engaging narrative, a dazzling cast and a magnificent production, manages to tell a unique story, but at the same time it could be about anyone in that crowded station. The untold stories of the world's victims finally receive a more than worthy cinematic representation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/05/24

Full Review

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Walter Salles

Director

Fernanda Montenegro

Dora

Marília Pêra

Irene

Vinícius de Oliveira

Josué

Soia Lira

Ana

Othon Bastos

Cesar

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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 (Vinícius de Oliveira), 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