Wah-Wah (2005)

Ralph witnesses the disintegration of his parents' marriage through adultery and alcohol during the last gasp of the British Empire in Swaziland in 1969. Ralph finds his new step-mother is the only one who understands his inner turmoil.

Director:

Richard E. Grant

Writer:

Richard E. Grant

Stars:

Nicholas Hoult, Miranda Richardson, Emily Watson

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gabriel Byrne	...	Harry Compton
Emily Watson	...	Ruby Compton
Julie Walters	...	Gwen Traherne
Nicholas Hoult	...	Ralph Compton - 14 years
Miranda Richardson	...	Lauren Compton
Zac Fox	...	Ralph Compton - 11 years old
Celia Imrie	...	Lady Riva Hardwick
Julian Wadham	...	Charles Bingham
Fenella Woolgar	...	June Broughton
John Matshikiza	...	Dr. Zim Mzimba
Sid Mitchell	...	Vernon
John Carlisle	...	Sir Gifford Hardwick
Mathokoza Sibiya	...	Dozen
Sindisiswe Nxumalo	...	Regina
Michael Richard	...	Tobias

Storyline

Set at the end of the 1960s, as Swaziland is about to receive independence from Great Britain, this movie follows the young Ralph Compton (Zac Fox), at eleven, through his parents' traumatic separation, till he's fourteen (played by Nicholas Hoult). It was written and directed by Richard E. Grant, and based on true events from Grant's childhood.

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Plot Keywords:

swaziland | stepmother | alcoholic father | child's point of view | divorced parents | 

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Taglines:

Every family has its own language.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Writer and Director Richard E. Grant's diaries, the part of the father was meant to be younger, but all of the actors that were asked in that age range passed, so an older actor was chosen.

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Goofs

The movie supposedly starts in 1969 with the date appearing on the screen. Yet Swaziland received independence on 6 September 1968.

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Quotes

Ralph Compton - 11 years old: Doesn't she love me any more?
Harry Compton: Of course she does.
Ralph Compton - 11 years old: Then how could she leave?

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Connections

Features A Clockwork Orange (1971)

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Soundtracks

The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Written by Don Raye & Hugh Prince
Performed by The Andrews Sisters

User Reviews

Truly fantastic movie: brilliant pacing, excellent performances, quality cast.

Truly fantastic movie. I went to the world premiere last night at Edinburgh Film Festival and was blown away. As much as I like Richard E. Grant, I must confess that I was expecting a rather indulgent art-house auto-biopic. Instead, what we got was a brilliant, superbly paced, wonderfully entertaining feature film that held the audience to the last scene. The first 10 minutes are a little slow, but from then on Grant never puts a foot wrong.

"Wah-Wah" has the right blend of comic situations, gritty family conflict, stunning African scenery and caricatures of latter-day British imperial pretensions to entertain, engage and amaze.

Nicholas Hoult shows that the intensity and charisma evidenced in "About A Boy" were no childhood fluke, while Gabriel Byrne brings a perfect mix of menace and charm to encapsulate the contradictions of Grant's father figure. Special kudos goes to Emily Watson, whose on-screen presence is radiant and lively, rather akin to Rachel Griffiths in "Six Feet Under".

With an assured debut like this, Grant should soon be able to give up those wretched Argos ads for good!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [UK]

Country:

UK France South Africa

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 June 2006 (UK)

Also Known As:

Wah-Wah

Filming Locations:

Swaziland

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$55,304, 14 May 2006

Gross USA:

$234,750

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,846,148

Company Credits

Production Co:

Scion Films, Loma Nasha, Reeleyes Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1