WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A geeky comedian loses his sense of humour in Johannesburg, the fast-paced city of robbers and riches. He ends up in an institution where he desperately tries to get his head back together. Then he decides to escape.
WHO WILL ENJOY IT?
If you think Leon Schuster’s flicks are cool you may not necessarily enjoy this - it aims a bit higher. In fact behind all the crazy chases, secret dagga plants, jokes and witty one-liners there’s a serious undertone. What makes the people of Jozi tick? Are they addicted to the wild dangers they face daily or are they masochists? And what do they find funny? Can Gautengers still laugh? Jozi answers these questions in an intelligent way. Finally a local comedy without clichés or slapstick - it’s funny, absorbing and clever.
WAIT FOR DVD?
Yes you can because it’s the kind of film where you want to be able to say to your mates, “Good grief, man! Here’s a movie that captures the terrible beauty and wonderful insanity of Jozi!” (And since you’re not supposed to talk in the movies you have to keep your comments for the DVD.) How the other eight provinces will feel about this open-heart surgery on Johannesburg is another question - Capetonians may not care less about what Gautengers consider funny. Yet with its sharp, unprejudiced look at what makes Jozi so unique and dangerously funny this comedy is a step up from most local efforts. Recommended.
Local comedy. With Carl Beukes, Lionel Newton and Jena Dover. Director: Craig Freimond. 13L. Opens 27 February.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Leon van Nierop