A Homeric fairy tale that tells the adventurous journey of two young boys, Seydou and Moussa, who leave Dakar to reach Europe.

Matteo Garrone’s latest movie was Italy’s selection for the ‘Best International Feature’ award at this year’s Oscars, making it into the final selection (albeit not winning the award – ‘The Zone of Interest’ did). It is ‘Io Capitano’ (or ‘Me Captain’), and it tells the story of a teenage boy from Senegal who attempts to get to Europe alongside his cousin, following them on their journey throughout Africa and onwards across the Mediterranean. The movie portrays the journey as an odyssey, where Europe is seen through the boys eyes as this almost mythical place full of opportunity, with the hardships endured on the way there a price worth paying to reach their goal.

Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) are cousins living in the Senegalese capital Dakar, with dreams to escape poverty by moving to Italy. To get there, they must travel through several other African countries to reach the northern tip of Libya, where they have heard passage can be secured to take them across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. The journey undertaken by Seydou and Moussa shows both the best and worst of humanity, with their arduous journey bringing them into contact with unscrupulous people traffickers and corrupt police officers who threaten prison if they aren’t bribed. That’s before you even get on to the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert that must be partially crossed on foot or the small matter of crossing the sea.

I was utterly gripped by this story, aided by an absolutely phenomenal lead performance from Seydou Sarr who is surely a star in the making. I laughed with him, cried with him and willed him on all the way – particular mention to a touching segment where he develops a friendship with a fellow migrant who becomes a father figure of sorts. Matteo Garrone has directed fantasies before and that power of fantasy and fable is always bubbling under the surface in ‘Io Capitano’, and it adds an additional layer to the underlying premise. ‘Io Capitano’ is a movie about hope, the hope of a better life, and the way in which that hope is exploited by the villains of the piece who have little regard for human life as long as they can make money out of it. Like most of Garrone’s works I found myself totally swept up in it.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Matteo Garrone

Starring: Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Issaka Sawagodo, Hichem Yacoubi, Doodou Sagna, Khady Sy, Bamar Kane and Cheick Oumar Diaw

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt14225838/