Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Alex Michaeletos | ... | Xan (as Alexander Michaletos) | |
Campbell Scott | ... | Peter | |
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Mary Makhatho | ... | Thandi |
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Nthabiseng Kenoshi | ... | Lucille |
Hope Davis | ... | Kristin | |
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Jennifer Steyn | ... | Aunt Gwen |
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Nicky Rebelo | ... | Coach Nagy |
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Garth Renecle | ... | Hock Bender |
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André Stolz | ... | Xan's Teacher |
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Charlotte Savage | ... | Poetry Student |
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Ronald Shange | ... | Policeman |
Eamonn Walker | ... | Ripkuna | |
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Nadia Kretschmer | ... | Tourist #1 |
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John Whiteley | ... | Tourist #2 |
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Clive Scott | ... | Tourist #3 - Eager Man |
During a nightly Porsche ride with his doting rascal Xan, white South African farmer Peter finds and adopts an orphaned cheetah cub, dubbed Duma (just Swahili for cheetah). It becomes the boy's inseparable playmate, even taking it to bed. Peter made clear from the start that the cheetah should be returned to the wild before its full adulthood. But the father is stricken down with a disease just before the cheetah could be returned. Xan's mother sells the farm and moves in with a city aunt. The cheetah escapes, but finds Xan at school, where the new boy is bullied. He decides to run away to the mountains with Duma. On the way they face countless perils, which courage, Xan's intelligence and Duma's instinct overcome. Written by KGF Vissers
Being used to today's explosion-filled, fast-paced movies being churned out on a weekly basis for the sake of selling tickets, Duma is what I'd like to say a slap in the face for all of us who get excited over the mediocrity that has brought out "The Interpreter," "Stealth," and what else is playing now...? A movie that I would definitely recommend for an entire family to watch together, there's nothing in here that would make you want to cover your kids' eyes or ears up at anytime. Instead you'd want for them, and for yourself, to sit up and pay attention to this smooth, smart movie.
Don't wait for any explosions. There is a story being told in this movie, and its being told with a fresh touch of poetry which I haven't seen in a long time.
I gave this movie an 8/10 because of one reason: Although the movie is set in Africa, its really hard to tell until halfway through the movie. In fact, the place looked whiter than Little Rock, Arkansas! But it got an 8/10 because of the story, the storytelling, and the smooth pace at which the movie flows.