Review of Timbuktu

I saw many excellent films at The Toronto Film Festival. This one really stayed with me. I am not a person who can tolerate visually violent movies and this move respected me as an audience member. I cannot remember a movie with more captivating images which resonated, characters I continue to think about and visuals which prompted me to reconsider my relationship with history and other nations as well as with myself. That sounds kind of major. Suffice to say that I recommend this movie to anyone who would like an excellent story simply told which is both moving and a window on another world. The story is about creeping fascism and the way in which human beings resist heroically inroads against them which demean them. Despite the heavy subject matter, I found this film incredibly uplifting. This is a rare opportunity to see a film which depicts the complicated and sometimes frightening world we live in but with a sense of hope.

I tend to be a rom-com type. It surprised me to relish a film about war. It is not a film without heartache. It is a film which is both inspired and is inspiring. Most of the lead characters are not professional actors. This shocked me. I cry to remember some scenes, but with gratitude!