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Talking Movies: SAFTA Film Nominees 2024

This week we’re talking about local films nominated at this year’s South African Film and Television Awards, or SAFTAs.

Starting off with…

Seconds

Seconds is the story of a boxer who’s nearing retirement and the personal struggles around an unwritten contract that hamper his efforts to finish strong. Working from a modest budget, Seconds outperforms itself, crafting a compelling and hard-hitting drama centred on dark secrets surrounding the last big fight. Dealing with family tensions and hard knocks, this gritty nugget of a film is an actor’s showcase. Having a seasoned contender like Vusi Kunene in the picture adds clout, supported by some fiery turns from Adrian Alper, Carel Nel and Mbato Mokomotsi.

A tightly-knit film, it’s captivating thanks to sharp performances, authentic production values and a tough-as-nails atmosphere, cleverly weaving into the lives of many complex characters within a tight-knit East Rand Community in Johannesburg.

Runs in the Family

Runs in the Family is spectacular within its means and doesn’t make any pretenses about its well-worn path being entirely original. What does energise this entertaining scrapbook of a road movie is its heart and humanity, which fuels the journey and smooths over bumps in the road.

Directed by Ian Gabriel, it features a solid local cast in Ace Bhathi, Gabe Gabriel, Rob van Vuuren and Diaan Lawrenson. While there are moments and turning points that could have used more finesse, this adventure comedy drama outperforms its budgetary limitations with just as much flair as its drag entourage. A charming, disarming and heartwarming movie with a bittersweet undercurrent, this modest feel-good tale is full of surprises.

The Fragile King

When it comes to family and a sense of belonging, there’s always drama to be found as people navigate tricky relationships. The Fragile King is an artful and intimate drama that explores a family’s frayed ends from a boy’s perspective. He and his mother struggle to make ends meet, catapulted onto a quest to reconnect with his biological father and estranged grandfather, now his travel companion.

A road movie with a mature sensibility, The Fragile King bands together many great actors with a focus on performance and intricate drama. There’s a melancholy at its core as a youngster tries to find his place in the world, blown about by circumstances and questioning his identity in the process. The character portrait is authentic, grounded by excellent performances from Alex de la Rey, Antoinette Louw and Andrew Buckland. An earnest and heartfelt undertaking, The Fragile King offers viewers a wistful slice of life experience with an artful edge.

Blindelings

Having all of our senses is something we can take for granted, making Blindelings a curious and vicarious experience as we journey with a pianist grappling with deteriorating eyesight, healthcare and the assistance of a wealthy gentleman. The drama builds suspense as the ulterior motives of this gesture become clearer.

A desperate husband finds himself in trouble as a visit to the countryside becomes a game of cat and mouse. Blindelings is directed by Ivan Botha and stars Donnalee Roberts, Jacques Bessenger and Willem van der Walt. The film has an earthy colour palette, cleverly transplanting us into the space of a visually-impaired protagonist. As she comes to learn the truth, the film escalates in tension and violence, making this psychological drama thriller a slow-boiling yet effective thriller.

Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor

From a whirlwind, Windhoek trip to a breakaway situational comedy scenario with an airport official, Hans Steek die Rubicon Oor’s storytelling does one to skip a few at times, but largely gets away with it thanks to its charm, style and independent spirit. A characterful ensemble, it’s blessed by the presence of Pierre van Pletzen, Tobie Cronje, Sandra Prinsloo, Nicola Hanekom and June van Merch.

While there’s little context to this visually-enticing comic adaptation, its bright-eyed and bushy-tailed fervour is enough to win audiences over with a comic yet winning tale of defiance. Light-hearted enough to amuse, and lightweight enough to gloss over, Corne van Rooyen’s spirited comedy is ultimately an entertaining, fun and sweet treat.

iNumber Number: Jozi Gold

iNumber Number: Jozi Gold is an entertaining, imaginative, gritty, slick, stylish and vibrant crime thriller in spite of trading passion for panache and going for style over substance. A worthy action and neo-western reboot sequel to its predecessor, the flashy overhaul ramps up the iNumber Number dynamic for mainstream appeal, even if the distance created by superficial character handling stunts emotional investment and immersive resonance.

Directed by Donovan Marsh, this SAFTA-nominated film stars S’dumo Mtshali, Presley Chweneyagae, Deon Lotz and Bongile Mantsai. A fierce and visually striking heist movie with a distinct African vibration, there’s still much to admire in Jozi Gold, an actioner with enough quirk, fun and pizazz to power home.

And finally…

The Queenstown Kings

Having conquered the world of boxing in Knuckle City, it seemed like a natural transition to tackle the most popular sport on the planet for Jamil X.T. Quebeka. The Queenstown Kings centres on a former football player who has a young protégé waiting to pick up where he left off.

A tale of father-son reconnection, this sports drama also has a familiar team dynamic as a group pull together in order to take their skills to the next level. A stirring sports drama, The Queenstown Kings is filled with emphatic performances from Zolisa Xaluva, Unathi Platyi and Likhona Mgali. The spirited underdog story about comebacks and new beginnings builds to a climax, undermined by its ambition and budgetary constraints in the visual effects department.

For more movie reviews, interviews and previous Talking Movies podcasts, visit splingmovies.com. And remember, don’t wing it, SPL!NG it.