Nowhere in Africa
User Score
8.7 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13

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  1. StephenS.
    Apr 7, 2003
    7
    As I find one Juliane Kohler more appealing than two Meryl Streeps, I liked Nowhere in Africa more than Out of Africa. But, the LA Academy Award notwithstanding, I lean towards the reservations of the NY newspapers on this one. Caroline Link's longish drama of a German Jewish family exiled to Kenya in 1938 has about it a certain surface gloss and withholding of subversive sentiment, not unlike American Beauty (yes) or The Quiet American mark II. Rather than letting the power emerge naturally from telling combinations of script and camera, Link tends to urge effects on you via the Kenyan technicolour, lingering aerial shots or the musical score. At one point, upstanding lawyer Walter upbraids wife Jettel (Kohler) for her dismissive attitude towards the wise retainer Uwuor, implying that she invites comparisons with Nazi behaviour towards Jews. But, for the most part, Link leaves out colonialism, not to mention the Mau Mau mischief that was soon to shake Kenya. More interesting than Walter's uncertain marriage are the daughter Regina's relationships with Uwuor and the other locals, special mentions going to Lea Kurka (the child) and Karoline Eckertz (the teenager). The attractive, if not astringent, confection is worth seven points max to me. Very good for a night out or a 'date movie', but no great sin to wait for the video. … Expand
  2. SaintHarry
    May 2, 2003
    10
    One of my top 10 best films of 2003 and it well deserved a Best Foreign Film Oscar. Very powerful, a great cast especially Sidede Onyulo as Owuor. Beautifully filmed.
  3. RomyE.
    Mar 18, 2004
    9
    A fantastic film, well done.
  4. GlennC.
    Apr 25, 2004
    9
    I thoroughly enjoyed a complex portrayal of triumph over human adversity, both external and self inflicted in this african setting.
  5. PatC.
    Apr 1, 2005
    7
    This movie was cobbled together in annoying fashion. Jewish holocaust angst is set to African rhythms. European transplants are shocked to discover that the abundant savanna wildlife experiences terror as components of the local food chain. Yet the humanity of the characters is generally presented as neither righteously glorious nor naively shallow. Their interactions are unusually genuine, and this authenticity persists to elevate this photoplay as an undeniable cinematic achievement.… Collapse
  6. ChadS.
    May 24, 2003
    7
    Knowledge of Doris Lessing's "The Grass is Singing" had to be suppressed in order for me to get through this movie. "Nowhere in Africa" accidentally recalls the novel in some early scenes involving Jettel and Owuwor. But the Kenyan transplant starts to accept the native population, and in one scene, to really hammer the point, Jettel tends to an abandoned old woman with tears in her eyes. Jettel isn't emminently likable and this scene feels grafted on as if the filmmakers were aware of this fact. "Nowhere in Africa" is utterly watchable, especially when the focus is on the Redlichs' daughter. The film likes to tantalize us with her budding sexuality within the proximity of two natives. Accepting fruit from a peddler is one thing, but what if Regina found love and happiness with a black boy? The screenplay protects Jettel. There are far worse ways to kill two hours, but "Nowhere in Africa" is a little dishonest to be truly successful.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    75
    Writer-director Caroline Link (who did the Oscar-nominated "Beyond Silence") adapted Stefanie Zweig's expatriate memoir gracefully, languidly and with full understanding of its heroine.
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  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Rita Kempley
    80
    Consistently absorbing family saga is primarily a safari of the soul.
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  3. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    80
    The movie's real strength lies in its intelligent, sympathetic account of the dynamic, difficult marriage of Regina's parents.
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