Movies out Friday, SA
Right, I'll be AWOL from this blog tomorrow and Monday (I'll be up in Johannesburg for 4 days but more about that in my next blog post!), so here’s a brief outline of tomorrow/Friday’s major movie releases in South Africa.
First up, and my pick of the week, is Bruno, the latest from Sacha Baron Cohen, the English comedian who has already gifted the world with the idiotic antics of Ali G and Borat. Bruno is Cohen’s third, and least known, fictional persona – a flamboyant, gay fashionista and TV show host from Germany. Following much the same mockumentary (or should that be shockumentary?) format as Borat, Bruno chronicles the title character’s outlandish adventures in the United States as he interacts with Americans who have no idea they’re the victims of a giant movie prank.
Given the rising tide of conservatism and anti-gay backlash that has afflicted the States and many other parts of the world in recent years, the timing of Bruno’s release couldn’t be better. I’m expecting a lot of angry, shocked reaction to this one, and I can’t wait. It’s little surprise that Bruno comes with a No Under 18 age restriction (for Graphic Sex, Nudity and Language), so be careful who you invite to watch it with you (e.g. NOT easily horrified, old-fashioned mothers). Bruno is currently 83% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
For those of you who like your comedies safe, warm and lovey-dovey, there’s The Proposal, starring the romcom dream team of Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. In a role-reversal she’s the callous ball-busting boss while he’s the frequently abused assistant just trying to survive in the city.
The plot hook here is that in order to avoid deportation to Canada (the horror!), Bullock’s character pretends to be engaged to Reynolds. However, to make the marriage look convincing to suspicious immigration officials she has to head off to Alaska to meet his quirky family. Cue all kinds of fish-out-of-water mishaps, comic misunderstandings and slowly growing sexual attraction.
The Proposal is 46% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which actually isn’t a bad score at all for a romantic comedy these days. General consensus is that Reynolds and Bullock have great chemistry but the film is let down by its highly formulaic nature.
Other movies opening in more limited release in South Africa this weekend are:
1) Local-shot horror flick Surviving Evil, starring the B-grade combo of Billy Zane and Colin Moss. God help us all!
2) Local drama uMalusi (The Shepherd) about a spoiled rich boy who learns valuable life lessons when he’s forced to hide in a squatter camp.
3) The Song of Sparrows, a foreign language drama from Iran about a kind-hearted everyman who finds his spirit crushed by materialistic, urban life.
4) Bollywood comedy Short Kut: The Con is On about con artists trying to make it big in the Indian film industry.
First up, and my pick of the week, is Bruno, the latest from Sacha Baron Cohen, the English comedian who has already gifted the world with the idiotic antics of Ali G and Borat. Bruno is Cohen’s third, and least known, fictional persona – a flamboyant, gay fashionista and TV show host from Germany. Following much the same mockumentary (or should that be shockumentary?) format as Borat, Bruno chronicles the title character’s outlandish adventures in the United States as he interacts with Americans who have no idea they’re the victims of a giant movie prank.
Given the rising tide of conservatism and anti-gay backlash that has afflicted the States and many other parts of the world in recent years, the timing of Bruno’s release couldn’t be better. I’m expecting a lot of angry, shocked reaction to this one, and I can’t wait. It’s little surprise that Bruno comes with a No Under 18 age restriction (for Graphic Sex, Nudity and Language), so be careful who you invite to watch it with you (e.g. NOT easily horrified, old-fashioned mothers). Bruno is currently 83% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
For those of you who like your comedies safe, warm and lovey-dovey, there’s The Proposal, starring the romcom dream team of Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. In a role-reversal she’s the callous ball-busting boss while he’s the frequently abused assistant just trying to survive in the city.
The plot hook here is that in order to avoid deportation to Canada (the horror!), Bullock’s character pretends to be engaged to Reynolds. However, to make the marriage look convincing to suspicious immigration officials she has to head off to Alaska to meet his quirky family. Cue all kinds of fish-out-of-water mishaps, comic misunderstandings and slowly growing sexual attraction.
The Proposal is 46% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which actually isn’t a bad score at all for a romantic comedy these days. General consensus is that Reynolds and Bullock have great chemistry but the film is let down by its highly formulaic nature.
Other movies opening in more limited release in South Africa this weekend are:
1) Local-shot horror flick Surviving Evil, starring the B-grade combo of Billy Zane and Colin Moss. God help us all!
2) Local drama uMalusi (The Shepherd) about a spoiled rich boy who learns valuable life lessons when he’s forced to hide in a squatter camp.
3) The Song of Sparrows, a foreign language drama from Iran about a kind-hearted everyman who finds his spirit crushed by materialistic, urban life.
4) Bollywood comedy Short Kut: The Con is On about con artists trying to make it big in the Indian film industry.
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