Talking Movies: Africa & I, Destination Marfa and Blackbird

Spling reviews Africa & I, Destination Marfa and Blackbird as broadcast on Talking Movies, Fine Music Radio. Listen to podcast.

TRANSCRIPT

Good morning – welcome to Talking Movies, I’m Spling…

This week, we’re talking about a travel documentary, a sci-fi fantasy mystery and a dark comedy drama.

Starting off with a film now on Showmax…

AFRICA & I

Directors: Othmane Zolati and Chris Green

Features cameraman, producer and star: Othmane Zolati

– Some of us only dare follow our dreams, yet for a 20-year-old Moroccan man it seemed as though destiny was calling when he embarked on an adventure with $80, a backpack and a camera.
– Documenting Zolati’s north to south expedition of Africa by way of video camera over a three-year period, we get an inside look at life for a nomadic traveller across 30,000km and through 24 countries.
– Carrying the spirit of Bob Marley, wearing soccer shirts from various nations and getting by on foot, skateboard or bicycle – we bear witness to a remarkable quest for personal freedom in search of the African spirit.
– Warned against travelling through conflict zones and war-torn countries, the intrepid explorer makes his way from North Africa through West Africa across to East Africa, making South Africa his final destination.
– Meeting many people from different nations, we get a first-hand and personal understanding of diverse cultures as the affable young man integrates himself.
– An exhilarating undertaking, those with a restless spirit will enjoy this vicarious African adventure as the young man faces challenges including: malaria, deportation, dehydration, dislocation and mercenaries.
– Demonstrating that Africa is much friendlier and welcoming than its reputation would have many believe, this is an uplifting and spirited travelogue.
– By way of interview, we get the story from the man himself who collated what must have been thousands of hours of footage to whittle down his grand quest into the space of 90 minutes with the help of Chasing the Sun’s Chris Green as co-director.
– Using on-the-ground coverage of destinations including Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa this documentary’s a beautifully human and stirring mash up of people, cultures and places.

A solid 7 on the splingometer!
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Moving on to a film on Amazon Prime…

DESTINATION MARFA

A detour forces four lifelong friends to venture into a small West Texas town known as Marfa.

Writer-Director: Andy Stapp

Stars: Tony Todd, Brittany Jo Alvarado and South Africa’s very own Stelio Savante

– David Lynch has had a significant influence on filmmaking with reverberations throughout Hollywood.
– Destination Marfa has been partly inspired by his work, creating a town where all is not as it seems.***
– From outlandish characters to strange occurrences, colour shifts and eerie moods, there are attempts to capture some of Lynchland.
– Unfortunately, this film’s biggest failing is consistency in terms of genre, mood, performance and even soundtrack.
– Veering from a teen road trip horror misadventure into an interdimensional sci-fi fantasy thriller with spiritual permutations, it never quite finds its stride.
– “Show, don’t tell” would have been good advice for this screenplay that tries to keep a running commentary turned dialogue between characters.
– Marfa’s strange lights in the sky deserve a story but this carnival of souls doesn’t have enough depth to truly immerse you in the world or plight of the characters.
– Operating at a superficial level, the pacing and swirling mix of fantasy visuals and sideshow characters are amusing but limited by a half-baked script and lack of consistency.
– While it’s great to see a number of familiar faces, this deeply flawed film gets by on aspiration and passion rather than finesse.

A third-rate 3 on the splingometer!
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And finally a film on Showmax…

BLACKBIRD

A terminally ill mother arranges to bring her family together one last time before she dies.

Director: Roger Michell

Stars: Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill and Kate Winslet

– Blackbird is based on the Danish film Silent Heart, which has been adapted into english by the original screenwriter.
– Centred on a dysfunctional family gathering where members are called to give their final goodbye, it has some delightfully dark comedy undertones.***
– Bolstered by a stellar ensemble, the dramedy enjoys rich and dexterous performances as the collective get a chance to showcase their timing and balance.
– While the name stars pack a punch, the scenario carries a curious tension as a matriarch orchestrates her final moments.
– Maintaining a clinical Scandanavian feel in the production design, the beautifully ornate and pristine country house complements the tough love and matter-of-fact tone.
– Sarandon is perfectly cast, Neill chips in with a well-balanced supporting performance, Winslet is unrecognisable while it’s refreshing to see Wilson tackling a more dramatic role.
– The darker side of Little Miss Sunshine, Blackbird still manages to elicit some laugh-out-loud moments with some great patter and barbed dialogue.
– The fluttering soundtrack mimics a bird at times, playing into the title and uneasiness of the situation.
– While a major turning point, the gathering is cleverly used as a watershed moment for all of its characters, lending itself to compelling drama without losing its sense of humour.
– Blackbird does have a few wobbly moments after a sharp start, yet mostly recovers on the strength of its seasoned cast.

A solid 7 on the splingometer!
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So just to wrap up…

AFRICA & I… an eclectic, epic, entertaining and stirring one-man travelogue infused with African spririt and led by a charming and nomadic adventurer… A solid 7!

DESTINATION MARFA… while intriguing and playful, this Lynchland-inspired diversion is half-baked: tonally inconsistent, superficial, muddled and unfocussed… A third-rate 3!

BLACKBIRD… a stellar cast unearth a rich strain of dark comedy against pristine, thoughtful and tense dysfunctional family drama… A solid 7!

For more movie reviews, previous Talking Movies podcasts and upcoming Bingeing with Spling watch parties visit splingmovies.com.

And remember, Don’t WING it, SPL!NG it!

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