SA MOVIE TOP FIVES

The ones everybody remembers

Tsotsi (2005)
The big one. Gavin Hood’s awful Oscars acceptance speech aside, this phenomenal film will be talked about for years to come.

Jerusalema (2008)
Gangster number one, minus Paul Bettany and with a large dollop of Joburg style. Classy stuff.

Forgiveness (2004)
A bleak, brutal and unsettling look at a former Apartheid policeman looking for redemption. Won us stacks of awards.

Yesterday (2004)
Our first full length Zulu feature. Leleti Khumalo and SA director Darrell Roodt created nothing short of a masterpiece

U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha (2005)
Bizet’s opera might not be a natural choice for an African story, but Andiswa Kedama carried it through.

The ones everybody tries to forget

The Story of an African Farm (2004)
Richard E. Grant is a legend in his own time, but he blew it spectacularly with this cheesy take on Olive Schreiner’s novel.

Red Dust (2005)
Gillian Slovo’s gut-wrenching book gets turned into a plodding film heavy with meaning, thanks mostly to Hilary Swank. Shot, Hilary.

In My Country (2005)
Juliette Binoche may have put on one of the better accents we’ve heard, but even Samuel L. Jackson couldn’t stop this turning into a clichéd romcom.

Drum (2004)
A movie with high hopes which gave Taye Diggs a much needed leading role. Our take? Meh.

Number 10 (2006)
Colin Moss, Mandoza and Naas Botha in rugby drama – who thought this was a good idea, exactly?

South Africans taking over in ‘09

Gavin Hood – Wolverine (Director)
Hood’s profile might be rising with Rendition and now this X-Men spin-off, but the plot was a convoluted mess. Epic fail.

Arnold Vosloo – GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Actor)
The Mummy plays evil villain Zartan in this explosive action flick. He’s not typecasting himself at all.

Charlize Theron – The Burning Plain (Actress)
Guillermo Del Toro and onse Charlize? Well, why not? Expect Ms Theron to make good once again in this intense family drama.

Neill Blomkamp – District 9 (Director)
Are you excited? You damn well should be. Blomkamp’s film, based on his Alive in Joburg short, looks nothing short of extraordinary.

Langley Kirkwood – Invictus (Actor)
Anybody who can take a role in Generation Kill and then go on to be directed by Clint Eastwood in this look at Mandela’s life, gets our vote. Used to be on Isidingo, if you can believe it.

Classic old school SA comedies

There’s a Zulu on my Stoep (1993)
Leon Schuster is going to feature heavily on this list, but his jaunt with the late John Matshikiza is absolutely classic.

Leon Schuster’s You Must Be Joking (1986)
If you harbour a loathing for Mr Bones and Shucks, then this is the place that started it all. Schuster’s first big film.

The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
Who can forget that Coke bottle. Even now, this utterly irreverent comedy still gets it right. If you ignore the inferior sequels, then this godfather of SA comedy gets top marks.

Panic Mechanic (1997)
“My atcha got white pepper, green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper and toilet pepper. Includes VAT and Vaseline.”

Crazy Monkey presents…Straight Outta Benoni (2005)
Worth it for the psychotic cop alone. Currently has the line ‘Worst Movie Ever’ attached to it on IMDB.com, but the film was still flippin’ schweet.

Nostalgic movies about SA

Jock of the Bushveld (1992)
Schmaltzy, cheesy and dated, but absolutely guaranteed to inspire tears and rose-tinted reminiscing from anybody over the age of twenty.

Cry the Beloved Country (1995)
Three words: James. Earl. Jones. The man who would be Darth Vader lifted this film to the heavens.

Cry Freedom (1987)
Pushes the boundaries of nostalgia, but no one can argue that Denzel Washington nailed Steve Biko.

The Angel, the Bicycle and the Chinaman’s Finger (1991)
Almost nobody outside of SA has heard of it, but this charming film written by Nicholas Ellenbogen is still a keeper.

Born Wild (1992)
Yes, we know, it stars Brooke Shields. It also stars John Varty and some cheetahs. Therefore, automatic inclusion.

What do you think of our selections? Did we miss out a great film or leave in a howler?