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Material [ Hits:1927 ]
Review: Material is one of the smartest, most heartwarming movies to originate from South Africa, telling the story of a young Muslim man whose love for stand-up comedy leads to conflict when his father expects him to take over the family business. There's always a hint of seriousness in a joke and as John Cleese once noted - "comedy is very much like tragedy". Material is a comedy drama, what's come to be known as a "dramedy", creating an uneasy balance between domestic strife and life's funnier mome...
The Social Network [ 2010 ] [ Hits:1184 ]
Review: The Social Network is a timely story about the founders of Facebook and their legal disputes on the back of unprecedented viral Internet growth and accidental billionaires. Whatever your take on the social online platform, The Social Network movie  seems to have everyone hitting 'Like'… If you’re connected to the Internet, chances are that you rely on Facebook as entertainment, a networking tool, a virtual grapevine or local news feed. The Social Network points out the social platform's add...
The Kings Speech [ Hits:1310 ]
Review: The British royal family have had their fair share of embarrassments through the ages: Richard III's bloody coronation, Queen Victoria's "wicked uncles", rumours that Prince Albert Victor was in fact Jack the Ripper, Prince Charles, his ears, Camilla Parker Bowles... the list continues. One such national embarrassment was The Duke of York, whose futile military exploits inspired this song..."Oh, the grand old Duke of York,He had ten thousand men; He marched them up to the top of the hill, And he...
Die Wonderwerker [ Hits:1532 ]
Review: Katinka Heyns is the director behind South African classics such as Paljas and Fiela se Kind. It's been more than a decade since her last film, making Die Wonderwerker, a much anticipated follow-up for the acclaimed director. She marks her return with a biographical mystery drama based on a chapter from the life of famous Afrikaner laywer, poet and naturalist, Eugene Marais.The man's output may not have been extensive, but he's still revered for his poems and studies on nature. Die Wonderwerker ...
Water for Elephants [ Hits:2598 ]
Review: Water for Elephants is a ridiculous title. Although it makes more sense when you realise that it's a crossover of two cinematic achievements of the 20th century... namely Titanic and Dumbo. Titanic in the way that this epic romance drama has been constructed, and Dumbo in the subject matter, story and special effects. Lavish, historic sets filled with extras in accurate costume and circus animals form the backdrop to this swirling romance about a young man, who happens to jump a circus train, be...
Life, Above All [ Hits:706 ]
Review: Life, Above All is a universal story about the intricate relationship between mother and daughter. Set in modern day South Africa, Oliver Schmitz has composed a drama that is emotionally taut, compelling for its heartfelt performances, important for its social commentary and beautiful for its cinematography. At the crux of Life, Above All is Chanda, our young protagonist, played by Khomotso Manyaka. The film depends on Manyaka's performance and she persuades us to journey with her as we learn of...
50/50 [ Hits:901 ]
Review: Laughter is the best medicine, but cancer and comedy don't mix - unless your name's Mike Birbiglia or you're watching 50/50. Disambiguation: we're reviewing 50/50, the comedy-drama about a 27-year-old guy struggling to beat the odds, after being diagnosed with cancer and not 50|50, the hard-hitting 27-year-old nature conservation show. There is a difference.Cancer is deadly serious, which is probably why very few people have tried to broach the subject in film, let alone comedy. Yet, they've tak...
The Impossible [ Hits:164 ]
Review: The Impossible is one of those films that you dread watching, because you know you're going to have to endure real devastation and emotional upheaval. It's the kind of drama you end up seeing because there's nothing else to watch, your curiosity got the better of you or you heard it was a must-see. The affects of the tsunami that killed over 250,000 people in Thailand in 2004 literally rippled throughout the world. Tourists and locals were washed away and families separated in a matter of minut...
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days [ 2007 ] [ Hits:840 ]
Review: 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days is a harrowing drama from Romania that deals with illegal abortions and their consequences. Cristian Mungiu, writer-director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days, composes a film with a stark reality that shocks, awes and implodes. This isn’t to say that his movie is explicit, but it’s his use of the sublime… what’s going on off-camera. Any film that deals with the controversial issue of abortion is going to have an edge, and 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days divides opinion...
Disgrace [ 2008 ] [ Hits:1753 ]
Review: Disgrace is a film adaptation of J.M.Coetzee's novel of the same title, which won such prestigious awards as the Booker Prize and Nobel Prize in Literature. The film is directed by Steve Jacobs, written by Anna Maria Monticelli and stars the indomitable John Malkovich. Disgrace has been the centre of much debate in South Africa, primarily caused by the ANC labeling it as "too pessimistic" a view of South Africa. International audiences and literature authorities have praised it for its brutal ho...
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