"Hard to Get" gets a good nod

Hard to Get unravels remarkable cinema viewing

 

By Fika Shange

 

The first time I laid my eyes on this film’s poster, I was immediately captivated and enthralled. With actor Pallance as lead, one just had to expect nothing but  only mind blowing and exhilarating performance which is something that we have now all come to be accustomed to from this talented young man. I was even more stunned by the stimulating performance of the feisty and yet meek Tshiwe Ziqubu who goes by the name of Skiets in the film.

 

 

TK (Pallance Dladla) is a handsome, charming womaniser of note who meets the striking, robust and dazzling, yet reckless Skiets (Thishiwe Ziqubu) when she walks into the shebeen where he works. Skiets is working to a plan and it virtually appears as if she roped him into this plan. TK simply wants to get into her pants and Skiets never admits it until the bitter end, but she is in love with him. They steal a car from the local bully who spends the rest of the film in search for them. The untouchable couple fail at little robberies and are discovered by the don of rogues that form the underbelly of Johannesburg. It’s not long before their will and love are put to the test.

 

 

Some of the points that stood out for me were the commitment by the entire cast. You can tell that they all wanted to be there. The cinematography was beautifully and artistically done. The choice of and appropriate use of locations created a wonderful world for the story. We found ourselves engrossed in it. I am still awestruck that the very young-looking Zee Ntuli pulled this off. Yes, with a host of mentoring and development by NFVF and very knowledgeable producers it’s still enthralling.

 

The pace and rhythm of this film is so rationally constructed to make sure that they have your attention through every action-filled minute. So when it came to the romance or grimacing action sequences I didn’t want it to drop. I wanted the movie to keep thrusting forward; and it did. Ultimately this is a hopeful story which carries the message that love is worth fighting for. If you are staunch fanatic of action-romance indie flick than you don’t want to miss this incredible film.

Thina Sobabili...a film review by Fika Shange

As cliché as this will undoubtedly sound, there’s one word with which to describe this film - MAGICAL. The alluring title “Thina Sobabili” loosely translated as “Just the two of us” generated just the right amount of anticipation to watch the film. I have viewed a number of films in my life and as soon as I’m out of the cinema, I would have utterly forgotten about the film. However this film is entirely the opposite because it’s mesmeric all the way through.

Not a hard-core film but definitely makes you feel uncomfortable and gloomy for the people in the situation. It brings you face to face with the extreme social ills and the realities of social issues. It unquestionably takes you out of the comfort zone and compels you to empathise with the characters.

Set in Alexandra Township, east of Johannesburg, directed by Ernest Nkosi, Thina Sobabili tells a story of two young siblings, Zanele and her older brother Thulas.  They are desperate, living on the poverty line and carry great emotional baggage. The pair is striving against dreadful social challenges. Thulas is an obsessive, controlling, somewhat emotionally fragile, young man. He is willing to do anything to protect his younger sister. Zanele on the other hand, naively sees a sugar daddy as an escape from the horrendous reality.

It’s been a long time coming since I have literally found myself sitting on the edge of my seat. You cannot really blame me because of the intense and compelling drama demonstrated by the characters. While there’s a state of gloom and torment, in other scenes, there’s fairly glee and merriment. This allows the audience to cudgel their brains on what they have seen.