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Reviews
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (2023)
Afrofuturism done right
Kizazi Moto is afrofuturism done right . It has a lot of heart, loving local nuances, black writers who bring in those textures that hollywood would not know and every short has its own distinct look that celebrates the continent. The revolution is being televised and I am all for it.
The respect the anathalogy series shows to African Spirituality whilst also showcasing alternative futures with different animation styles is impressive. Theres different tonality to the animation, voice acting and stories, reflects the diversity of our continent and is captured beautifully.
Well done to the team, I'm hoping this is a start of seeing more black penned animation projects out of the continent.2023 is the year that animation is making a major comeback on all fronts, whether it be Super Mario, Across the Spider-verse now we can enter Kizazi Moto to that list.
Hard to Get (2014)
A chick flick pretending to be a crime thriller
2014 continues to be a great year for SA cinema as we see more and more SA films, with decent budgets, hitting our screens. The latest addition to the roaster of 2014 SA films that includes Four Corners and iNumber, just to mention a few is Hard to get. Is it a worthy entry? Lets dig in
Hard to get is Zee Ntuli's first feature film. Ntuli got a lot of positive attention for his superb short film Bomlambo; a drama about a kid who is sent back to our world from the world of the spirits and put a a strain on a coupe relationship. That short film was very restrained and handled the supernatural elements with grace. Hard to get is on the other side of the tipping scale loud, brash and very show-wee
Ntuli is going for Bonnie and Clyde nihilistic youth experience; laced with sex, violence and booze. The film looks beautiful. Ntuli needs to be accorded for giving it a cool look, the warm pallete works for it. The slo –mo action scenes will convert a lot of action die hards and the South African pop music will endear the film to the youngins. The fact it has Pallance Dladla ( Tempy Pushas, Isibaya,Intersexion fame) as it's lead ,already scores with a legion of fans who love pretty boys with a body on screen.
Yet this film belongs to the new comer Thishiwe Ziqubu as Skiets ; our femme fatal/Mshoza of the piece . Who kicks the plot into first gear. Ziqubu is able to emote tough, sexy, vulnerable and do subtext so well. She sizzles. Whilst Dladla ,although does a good job at his part the material(ie script) is not asking a lot from him. I got a sense that Zee Ntuli sees Dladla as his Taylor Lautner of Twilight Saga . Any chance to have the man stride around half naked, showing off his well sculpted body is taken, the ladies are surely going to appreciate his efforts.
So the actors look good, the picture looks really good, the humour is on point and the dialogue is on point and you can never go wrong with Israel Makoe as a villain but unfortunately the story lets down this film. The story implodes once it hits Jo'burg and a second antagonist is introduced, which takes a way from forward momentum in the story or even pathos. It almost feels like Ntuli and his writing partner where not sure if they want to tell a Bonnie and Clyde crime story set in SA, a Bonnie and Clyde love story , or a Jim comes to joburg story, or a True Romance ala Tarantino with all sorts of under word figures. It becomes messy and at times very clichéd.
That's not the only problematic thing about Hard to Get, the other issue is it's contribution to gender portrayal in SA. Skiets is a strong assertive ,street smart woman who suffers all sorts of abuses from men in the film and there's little to no retribution for that. In a country with such high rates of femicide, domestic abuse and general disrespect for women, during womens month nogal, you'd think the film would be more circumspect about such stuff . I not saying don't portray the verbal and physical abuse we dish in SA but ,it's never addressed in anyhow in the film and its naturalized as if it's okay.Yet for me the mortal sin is how the Character of Skiets is almost spoiled by very clichéd move by the writers that goes contrary to how she has been set up as a person.
If Hard To Get had come out before iNumber Number,I would have said it is a somewhat positive step in production for SA films and not so good story telling but iNumber Number showed that we can do excellent production and story telling. The story really lets down this movie that could have been greater than what it is, if some details and story choices were scrutinized better. Other than that its loud, pretty to look at,it will make you laugh but has no substance or good momentum in its story,it will probably do well at the box office but I wonder what will it be it's cultural significance.
Elelwani (2012)
magic realism meets TshiVenda culture in Elelwani
South African Cinema seems to be going through a bit of a resurgence in 2013. From a history of 1-2 films being produced every year, to now having over 5 SA film already passing through our screens and more still on the way before the year ends. The latest addition is Ntshaveni wa Luruli's Elelwani aka The Promise. A beautiful tale about love, tradition , self actualization and magic realism. This movie won't be everybody's cup of tea but it needs to be admired for the balls and guts it takes with its story telling. Let's dig in.
I went to see the movie without checking out the trailer or reading anything about it,why? Cause local is lekker and having an SA film on circuit is an event on it's own that needs to be supported(done my bit for advocacy).So I went into it blind. 15 minutes into it I thought the story will be about traditional values vs urban think ; ie the young Elelwani (played with passion and gusto by Florence Masebe whose not so young herself but pulls off a cool performance)m, I thought the movie would just be about Elelwani having to fend off her traditionalist parents who want her to kick Ashifa Shabba to the curb and go marry some old greaser king whose on his deathbed .Poor Elelwani will have to fend the family off for the whole movie so she can go to the US and continue her study but there was more to the story and I was pleasantly surprised.
The tale becomes like those childhood folktales about kings, mysticism, spirits and ancient powers meddling in our poor mortals life whilst also giving one insight into traditional Venda life and customs. In no time the magic realism just creeps ups on you. From a semi recognizable world that we live in today to suddenly finding ourselves in Wa Luruli's version of Westoros and Elelwani is our Daenerys Stormborn playing her own game of thrones and discovering her true self. The film unfolds these threads quite slowly and might loose those of us who accustomed to the quick and flashy pace of commercial films. Yet if you stick with it, the visual metaphors are a joy to see unfold, although some are steep in Venda culture and can go over our heads (for those who are as ignorant of Venda culture as I am), most are self contained within the film that makes them accessible to everyone.
It's not just the metaphors that are accessible but also the characters. From the lead Elelwani who happens to also be the co-executive producer of the film (go woman empowerment), one can understand and sympathize quite easily with Elelwani but I love how the parents ;who are steeped in patriarchy are not demonized but one sees where they coming from and kind of understands their predicament. The only character that is somewhat underdeveloped is the king and the king's mother.The story is filled with colourful characters even our own version of the Alexander Dumas's "the man in the iron mask" but make it "wooden mask".
Written and directed by Ntshaveni wa Luruli whose directed Muvhango the soapie on SABC 2 when it first started, the films Chicken Bizniss and the Wooden camera ,Elelwani is the first ever feature film to be shot entirely in TshiVenda. Wa Luruli a native of Venda enjoys showing off his knowledge of the customs and is able to point out the good ,the bad and the ugly about his traditions without being offensive or insensitive. Case in point a particular sex scene that is not a sex right up at the beginning shows how intune Wa Luruli is with his people's customs and sensibilities.Yet like Van Gogh this film may be ahead of its time for people bred on American three act structure and American story realism. Taking the magic realism by infusing the supernatural in an ordinary world, mixing a bygone era with a modern age was a very bold move by wa Luruli and he has to be commended for it.At times I wished that it was a series and a film that way ,we could get more of the world and delve more into some characters but I guess we have to start somewhere.
If you want to see something that explores African myths like the SABC 1 drama "Death of a Queen" , or you want something that asserts African identity and challenges it at the same time without being abrasive then Elelwani is for you. An interesting blend of stories that showcase that we may not have white walkers and dragons but we have plenty of our own myth, fantasy and lore to mine.
The Avengers (2012)
Movie does not live up to hype,wasted opportunity
I think this movie was made for 16-year-olds who've never heard of the word "hegemony". Who just want Hulk to rescue Iron Man without understanding what motivates his change of heart towards Tony Stark or who see nothing wrong with shots concentrating on Scarlett Johansson's butt and don't understand the inner conflict of the characters.
The film tries to use humour and action sequences to gloss over poor story development, poor character choices and action sequences that really don't propel the story or characters forward but that seem to happen for their own sake.
On the plus side, there are some very clever, witty lines especially from Tony Stark but they're a wasted opportunity to explore Thor and Loki's relationship more, which was set up so well in the Thor movie.
Unfortunately the movie is full of so many clichés that you see them coming a mile away. There's also a lot of cringeworthy dialogue trying to sound profound - if that's not bad enough, the film has no heart. Something that the 1st Iron Man and Thor movie had in spades.
There was a clear arch with the characters - we knew what their pain is and what they needed to get by the end of the film. The Avengers in this movie are paper cut-outs with no depth.
They're almost parodies of themselves and this is very obvious with Hulk vs Bruce Banner, which is a pity because the animated series on SABC 3 currently shows how interesting the character dynamics can be without sacrificing what makes each character tick.
Here I didn't feel anything for the characters, I didn't care whether they live or die or get anything new that we haven't seen in their past incarnation. Instead I was bombarded by dumb 1980's drivel about how we need big brother America and "Right is might mentality" ... ja nee ... actually the film is more about how America sees itself and what it thinks. A not-so-subtle indoctrination into why we need "Team America World Police" this time in form of the Avengers.
It's a pity that a movie with no proper character development, a story with no build (it's actually a throwback to a time were escapist films were far removed to anything resembling peoples lives, values or a smart comment on our times) will make millions until people realize that the emperor is naked like they did with Spiderman 3.
Well, if you want a movie where you will check out your brain at the door and watch things explode, then this movie is for you. If you want to laugh in short bursts in between, then this movie is for you but if you want an action movie that will move you, I suggest your rent Iron Man 1 and Thor instead.
State of Violence (2010)
Affluent man's comrade era ghosts come to roost when he reaches the pinnacle of BEE world in south Africa
Well SA cinema this years has given us Afrikaans drama, cigarette addicted South Africans, South African folks scheming to steal money that does not belong to them and now Khalo Matabane brings a dose of realism, angst, despair and post apartheid head aches all rolled in one in a film called "state of violence". Where like in that famous play by Shakespeare "All are punished".
The movie does not just explore the nature of violence ,but revenge and holding onto vendettas ,which makes it more powerful especially since it locates this arguments not just in recent SA history but which takes into account the present day South Africa. Like the title character Bobedi aka Terror who has left his comrade life behind for BEE suites and accumulative wealth.The township remain a stark reminder of where South Africa comes from as a country and how far it still needs to go to (re)address the wrongs of the past. How ironic that its these township that gave birth to Bobedi spawn the thing that would change Bobedi life forever.
The question then becomes; does the BEE man continue to smoke cigars in the lavish clubs or does he go medieval on everyone like he used to back in the heyday of the struggle. It's his choices that show how families and South Africans humanity was/is scared by apartheid history, especially by the violence of the aparthied years and the continuing poverty that persists today.
This is Fana Mokoena's film as Bobedi aka Terror. The man does not have to say much.Like Rodney Nyakaile aka papa action in "portrait of young man drowning" we spend a lot of the film following him,literally with the camera, as he goes through the nooks and corners of the township.The films also relies on the face of the actor to convey a lot of subtext and nuance. Fana delivers in spade.It's actually cool that Ronnie is in this film too. Poor Presley is Fana's younger brother who plays the toughie with a soft heart to Terrors hard edge.He does not get as much screen time but Presley makes those baby cheeks to work for him,you could almost just give him a tissue to wipe those tears but he does the bleeding heart very well.
Khalo Matabane has to be congratulated for making a very depressive film and not being apologetic about it.This film is good. Its depressing cause it does not offer any easy answers plus it leaves you with real life questions that plague South Africans. The fact it reminds me of "a history of violence" speaks volume about what themes that come out from Khalo's film.In an era where there's pressure to dumb it down and make straight commercial flicks ,Khalo has to be applauded for sticking to the thinking mans cinema.
The film ain't perfect, there are one or two cliché moments , the pace is quite slow and you just need to let the film grow on you.But I liked it, I felt it really raises some issues that need to discussed in current RSA. It made me think of all those IFP,ANC ,special forces guys who were hectic in the 80's killing people and all; where are they now and how are they adjusting to the new SA? Then there's South Africans in general and how they view violence and how they use it especially with the recent xenophobia attacks and all.If you want a film that will make you think not necessarily entertain ,check this one out.