I saw this at the Mill Valley Film Festival and was fascinated by the story and setting. The very few other films I've seen that deal with apartheid (and I can't think of even one off-hand!) that lets you see what black Africans in the regime might be doing for a living outside of being servants or aides-de-camp to heroic white characters. I agree with earlier comment that some scripting is clichéd, but the actors live their roles and the movie never descends into sappy or manipulative until the final sequence. GREAT soundtrack of 50s jazz by a group of South African musicians including some who actually played in the types of Sophiatown joints depicted in the film.
At the film festival, a producer said in all likelihood this will not get US distribution, which is a terrible shame, especially for one of the lines of reasoning (I quote): "Distribution companies don't think audiences will come to see Taye Diggs in a non-romantic role." Henry is a wonderfully romantic character, full of bravado and sexual charisma.
At the film festival, a producer said in all likelihood this will not get US distribution, which is a terrible shame, especially for one of the lines of reasoning (I quote): "Distribution companies don't think audiences will come to see Taye Diggs in a non-romantic role." Henry is a wonderfully romantic character, full of bravado and sexual charisma.