Movie Review: Die Kwiksilwers (The Quicksilvers)
One-liner: An entertaining, fun-filled, heartfelt and spirited coming-of-age adventure comedy drama road movie.
Die Kwiksilwers (The Quicksilvers) is a coming-of-age comedy adventure drama from Jordy Sank, which tells the story of Elsabe, a widow in her 80s who embarks on a road trip across the Karoo with three elderly friends. On a mission to experience a meteor shower from Sutherland, they must outrun her overprotective son.
Most entertainment is designed for younger audiences these days, making it refreshing for Die Kwiksilwers to focus on an older and more relatable subject for this underrepresented audience. Having directed the holocaust survivor documentary, I Am Here, which centred on a spritely woman on the verge of turning 100, Jordy Sank and writer-producer Gabriella Blumberg were perfectly poised to take on Die Kwiksilwers.
Having worked with star Lida Botha in the short film, Leemtes en Leegheid, they already had a working knowledge of, and strong relationship with their lead. Botha is a humble on-screen legend based on how memorable she makes each of her supporting performances. Easily recognisable and full of pluck, she’s a force to be reckoned with, finally getting a long overdue starring role after a prolific career built on supporting character bits in recent years.
It’s as if the part of Elsabe was written for Botha who takes to the role with relative ease. She’s committed, spirited and completely invested in telling Elsabe’s story of grief, resilience and hope. Elsabe’s 1975 Ford Granada is her emotional vessel, a nostalgic and constant reminder of the road trips she took with her late husband, which serves as her escape vehicle to get to a much-dreamed-about celestial event in the Northern Cape town of Sutherland.
“Could I see some IDs please, ladies.”
Die Kwiksilwers is reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine in its indie spirit and tonal mix, offering a blend of high-spirited expedition and tempering it with a twinge of sadness. This bittersweet channel is where it hovers, pushing the drama of a woman crossing off a big item on her bucket list and off-setting this against the comedy of a cross-country car chase with mature gal pals. Die Kwiksilwers also echoes the local comedy, Susters, which features a classic Botha bit part and chronicles a much younger yet similar road trip.
Taking a moment to set the scene as Elsabe’s core relationships are established, it’s not long before the girls trip is underway. Botha is an absolute character and finds her equal opposites in June van Merch, Susanne Beyers and Theresa Sedras. Essentially able to play each other’s roles, the chemistry in the vehicle is on track and so is the hightail Karoo road trip as the quirky band of “Golden Girl” personalities attempt a getaway. In hot pursuit is Lida’s well-meaning son turned long-suffering “warden”, Wikus, played with fortitude by Jacques Bessenger.
Die Kwiksilwers may confront some serious themes but is ultimately a crowd-pleasing and fun-filled movie, which roots for its lead in her last ditch effort to fulfill her dream. It may not be as mission critical as a trip to the moon or as claustrophobic as a space capsule, but their camaraderie is infectious and their motives pure. Deconstructing the idea of being relegated to an old age home, Lida’s conviction and energy powers the headstrong Elsabe to achieve – a reflection of Botha’s real you’re-never-too-old attitude. While a happy-go-lucky road trip, it does have emotional heft, adding substance beyond popcorn entertainment at several interchanges.
The movie isn’t entirely original and does venture into some well-worn comedic grooves. A detour to an “Afrikaburn” type event leads to some typical later-in-life humour, yet while a bit cliched this is counterbalanced by fresh character interplay. It’s much more about the journey than the destination, offering up a heartwarming all-rounder of a film that should resonate with most audiences with its fun-in-the-sun Mamma Mia energy.
While the concept of Die Kwiksilwers may not exactly grab you at first, it’s one of those movies that endears and entertains beyond expectations. It quickly ramps up and wins you over from the get-go thanks to balanced storytelling, a funny script, a heartrending tale and cheeky characters. The film’s independent spirit is captivating, the road trip journey is amusing and the performances are lively – making Die Kwiksilwers a playful, nostalgic and entertaining jaunt.
The bottom line: Plucky
