Nairobi Half Life (2012) User Reviews

Nairobi

[koloayew · 8/10 · 20 January 2013]

I like this film very much.

I saw it in Nairobi and we thought this is a good one The actor is a true African boy his story is good and like a lot that I know.

I think it is funny but a bit sad and the director for this is very very good.

I want them to win the Oscar for this one but don't think they can Kenyan film is growing and this can help It was in Cinema in Nairobi for very very extra long.

All my Kenyan friends like it and me too Europeans should like this also

Pretty nifty!

[willienganga-688-643984 · 8/10 · 17 May 2013]

With strong performances from the likes of Joseph Wairimu and Olwenya Maina, alongside an impressive script and awesome directing, welcome to a 96-minute class introducing Nairobi- especially the dark side. Throw away all your tourist guidebooks! This is it! Further, knowing many Nairobians who are oblivious of some of the realities presented in the film, this is a great opportunity to gain some knowledge on how things could take a turn for the worse. To the film itself, I liked how the actors brought out the parallels in the script; the protagonist's double life, hope and dreams of a 'respectable' livelihood away from commercial sex work, clubbing in Westlands versus catching pints in dinghy pubs, country life versus city life, etc, all juxtaposed against each other. The contrasts are too accentuated to ignore, perhaps convincing one to look rather than look away when Mwas beseeches us movingly as the story resolves. The audience also doesn't lose sense of an overbearing theme of morality and goodness amid all the rot, crime, and hedonism. Whereas most other good efforts from the Kenyan film sector fail to bridge Kenyan realities, concentrating on exclusively suburban, ghetto, or country life themes, NHL manages to weave a tale bringing all such outlooks together. However, the fate of the gang rather smashes any hope of a way out from criminal lives. Cruel! Overall, that was some well spent 96 minutes.

Kenyans buying Kenya

[mduncanwalls · 6/10 · 26 February 2015]

In Kenyan film and TV industry, no other film has had the ratings that NHF has had, even at the local box office. It shows and refutes claims that Kenyans do not buy what is local, goes on to show there's a great market for film, and the possibilities are endless. Give people something they can relate to; directly or otherwise, you shall keep smiling. It shows there's hunger for content among Kenyan consumers. The hash tag #NHF and #NairobiHalfLife trended for a while after the premiere. It serves and acts as the bar to reach in Kenyan film making. Judging by the reviews and feedback from film festivals, a masterpiece. Outstanding performances by Mws (Joseph Wairimu) and Oti (Maina Olwenya). Audience appeal top notch, execution thumbs up to Tosh Gitonga. A must watch.

"It's your choice whether to look or to look away"

[diasporadical · 10/10 · 25 September 2012]

Nairobi Half Life does not boast an original premise. A young kid from rural Kenya with dreams of moving to the city(Nairobi) and becoming an actor.

What immediately differentiates it from other local films and a lot of international films is how it casts an unforgiving realistic eye on the protagonists life and actions. The movie does an excellent job of examining the underbelly of suffering and desperation in the country, from personal struggles of the youth to larger hurdles the nation is trying to leap; all the while narrating a story that will take you through a full range of genuine emotions before leaving you somewhat inspired and in some form of reflection.

The actors are commendable in their performances and bar one minor continuity error (or two), the storytelling is superb.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a different African cinematic experience.

I have a full length review on my website, should you care for more details

Superb storytelling, one of the best from Africa

[filmboxonline · 9/10 · 13 August 2013]

Was able to watch this gem at last year's Dubai International Film Festival. By the end of the screening, I was sure that this had to be my favorite movie in the festival. The performances were fine. And this being a trial-and-error sort of attempt for the filmmakers, Nairobi Half Life was really good than one can expect. The story is solid, and probably the best part of the experience. And best part is, the director manages to tag as long for a journey throughout Nairobi, from the police jail cells, the slums, to the gangster infested roads, it is like visiting Nairobi after all. Everyone in the audience loved it. If the film is playing near you, please go watch it.

Starting actor moves to capital city, looking for a role. Stumbles on shady side job, and shows remarkable talents in both. Entertaining and promising debut from Kenya

[JvH48 · 9/10 · 1 May 2013]

I saw this film at the Rotterdam film festival 2013 (IFFR), where it was part of the Bright Future section. Main character Mwas grows up in a small village. He dreams of becoming in actor in the capital city Nairobi, also known as Nairobbery. The latter side of the large city takes him off guard immediately upon arrival. Pennyless he winds up in jail, albeit not guilty of any crime. He needs some time to adjust himself to the environment, thereby attracting the attention of a fellow prisoner when showing an original twist on an assignment to clean the toilets.

After his innocence is established and he is released, he remembers the promise of that fellow prisoner to help him find a job. His disarming and fearless attitude makes him a perfect fit for a gang that "obtains" parts from parked cars. He shows extraordinary talents in misleading policemen, and his natural insight in body language makes him very useful in price negotiations when re-selling the stolen goods.

While still on the lookout for auditions where they need an actor like him, we see a duo-story enfold. Both story lines develop steadily in alternating scenes. As a bonus we get an inside view in Nairobi, and how people live there in the big city. We can only assume that this view is realistic. But even if we are mislead in this, it still is beautifully shot and acted throughout.

On one of his first auditions he shows remarkable knowledge how criminals operate, and a natural way of playing the role of a criminal. Of course, we viewers know how he obtained inside information about the underworld. Anyway, it serves him well and he immediately gets the role. He has some problems in combining the two ways of life, but on average he copes very well under the circumstances.

A cynic like me may point out that some events are a bit too coincidental. He seems to have an above average amount of luck working in his advantage. On the other hand, when otherwise we would have had no story, hence no scenario to base this film on. Yet I remain skeptical, when for instance he is the only one who gets unharmed out of a gang clash. And a shootout near the end of the film considerably delays him, but he is still able to reach just-in-time the premiere of the stage play he has a role in. A bit unlikely, maybe, but providing for extra emphasis on his impressive monologue in the finale of the play.

All in all, 96 minutes well spent. That this film got a justified place in the Bright Future section of the festival, is an unmistakable hint that we long to see more of these film makers and lead actor in the future to come. The festival visitors gave this film a good score of 4.45 (out of 5), thus ranking it a deserved 10th place (out of 178) for the audience award.

Must See

[mark6975 · 10/10 · 13 March 2013]

I loved this movie....it had it all. It told a great moral lesson to our youth that humility and a sense of humor will carry you much further in life than a fancy car, a handgun, or flashy clothing. The other thing I so enjoyed was the recurring theme that people with "old fashioned" values coupled with a dash of wit and a friendly smile, will often triumph in the end. This movie was an amalgam of Mr. Smith goes to Washington and Slum Dog Millionaire for telling the tale of a country bumpkin trying to make his way in a big bad City. The comparison of "country" vs. "city" morals isn't lost on the audience and the director does a good lob of leading you to the correct conclusion that old fashioned values of honesty, charity, and humility are best. THe movie also treats the issues of poverty and corruption in a direct and honest way. What sets this movie apart is that the viewer experiences these very graphic depictions of life in the slum of a developing country in the context of what is otherwise an incredibly positive and uplifting message. The production crew deserve a great deal of credit for making a masterpiece on what I expect was a shoestring budget.

Will you look, or will you choose to look away?

[robi-crl · 9/10 · 19 November 2014]

Maybe it was the fear of that which I know so well, the life in the inner city of Nairobi (home of the realest ghettoes in the world, if you ask me)

Either way, I'd been very scared to watch this movie. However I'm glad that I finally got the guts to watch it. With my good friends, we watched the movie from beginning to the end, laughing, frowning, crying, wincing, stopping back in shock- as we were taken through the tumultous life of a hustling young man in Nairobi.

Quick summary.. Mwas (short for Mwangi) just moved from the village to nairobi city, seeking to pursue his dreams. From the very first moment he comes to terms with the fact that Nairobi isn't the city of dreams as he'd been led to believe.

We watch the young man's struggle, from the meager paying lawful job to the harsh life of a criminal, the corrupt police we from Nairobi know too well, the life of shades of grey that most Nairobians know rather than clear black and white lines that few know well to stick to.

The movie was better than I thought it'd be, and ended with a most important question that is still ringing in my mind even at this moment..

Will you look, or will you choose to look away?

Terrible

[cdownes-56407 · 3/10 · 21 November 2022]

How has this scored 7.4 on here? I would question the varacity of the scoring of this. Are other movies so blatantly over rated?

The acting was terrible, the storyline contrived and muddled and the characters where cheap stereotypes. While I enjoy experiencing cinema from different cultures this had very little of merit.

Other reviews mention the morality and standards laid down for a younger audience, I'm amazed. The main character turns to crime while he pursues his dream of being an actor and falls in love with the whole with a heart. This storyline has been told a thousand times and mostly in a much better manner than this. I struggled to stay awake watching this and couldn't in all honesty reccomend this to anyone.

"At least I'm passionate about what I do"

[jrhergenreder · 9/10 · 24 April 2024]

*Spoiler Warning*

Nairobi Half Life is an outstanding Kenyan film that follows the dreams of a man from his rural home who decided to move to the big city to become an actor. The main character Mwas, played by Joseph Wairimu, starts as a movie salesman in a rural kenyan town who walks around selling and acting out pirated discs of western films. After seeing a traveling theater performance, Mwas decides to move to the big city to enter the film industry; although he quickly realized that the city is not at all what he believed it to be. After a series of unfortunate events that lands him in prison, Mwas enters a life of crime in order to survive all while maintaining his efforts to make it as an actor.

The film, lasting a duration of 96 minutes, was directed by David 'Tosh' Gotinga, a Kenyan man born in Nanyuki, a small town similar to the one in Nairobi Half Life. While the high production behind the film could be attributed to Gotinga's skill as a director, much of its success can also be attributed to the involvement of German director Tom Tykwer and his production company One Fine Day Films. One Fine Day Films is a German funded company that aims to "professionalize" the film industries of less developed countries by providing them with the equipment and techniques needed to produce films that are up to the western standard. The involvement of western techniques and funding is a theme in much of early African cinema; in many cases, the private french financiers were known to fund art films. While the budget for Nairobi Half Life is unknown, given its high production quality it could be assumed to be on par with other art films from the time.

The film itself reflects the reality of what it is to be an actor in African art films. In Nairobi Half Life, Mwas auditions for a local theater group along with many other individuals with proper acting experience; despite the experience of the other actors, the director casts Mwas due to his authenticity and representation of real struggle. This is a similar reality to the casting process for African art films. While in contrast Nollywood tends to cast individuals who can develop stardom through multi-media methods, the casting for art films tend to be non-professional actors who can represent a more authentic life. While commercial actors may bring more attention to the film and can guarantee quality acting, art films tend to de-emphasize individuals and focus on collective struggle. In a similar way, the director character in Nairobi Half Life could have casted one of the many trained actors for Mwas' role, however, director Gotinga likely aimed to reflect his reality as an art film director through the director character in the film.

In all I highly recommend this film. Through its engaging characters, captivating story, and production quality on par with prominent films from the west, Nairobi Half Life is a wonderful film that effectively demonstrates African cinemas ability to break the glass ceiling and compete with the coveted films of the west.

Kenyan Cinema

[Mureitheart · 8/10 · 27 April 2023]

The film is a poignant and powerful portrayal of the challenges faced by young people in Kenya, particularly those from rural areas, who come to Nairobi with hopes and dreams of a better life. The acting is outstanding, with Joseph Wairimu giving a particularly compelling performance as Mwas. The supporting cast is equally strong, with each character bringing their own unique perspective to the story.

What makes Nairobi Half Life stand out is its honest portrayal of life in Nairobi. The film doesn't shy away from showing the gritty realities of the city, from its poverty-stricken neighborhoods to its seedy underbelly of crime and corruption. But it also captures the city's vibrant energy and the hope that it offers to those who are willing to work hard and persevere.

The film's cinematography is also worth noting. The use of handheld cameras and natural lighting gives the film a raw, documentary-style feel, which adds to its authenticity.

Overall, Nairobi Half Life is a powerful and thought-provoking film that offers a compelling look at life in Nairobi. It's a must-see for anyone interested in African cinema or who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by young people in Kenya.