White Wedding (2009)

Sick Product of a Sick System

Great Film overall

Good concept, poorly executed.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This South African movie was somewhat of a surprise. I had initially not really expected much from it, and it being a romantic comedy didn't exactly add to my expectations or excitement.And now having seen this movie, I can say that it is a good story and it is nicely told. The story is about Elvis (played by Kenneth Nkosi) who is going to marry Ayanda (played by Zandile Msutwana), but he has to travel a long way with his best friend Tumi (played by Rapulana Seiphemo) before he can get to stand at the altar. And, of course, the road ahead is turbulent and full of obstacles and surprises.For a romantic comedy, then "White Wedding" is a fairly straight forward type, and doesn't really offer much new to the genre. But that being said, it was a nice and heartfelt story.The movie was nicely acted by the people on the cast list, and it was refreshing to see an entirely cast of all new faces on the screen.I am rating this movie a 5 out of 10 rating, because it is enjoyable, but I am not overly keen on romantic comedies in general. Plus it lacked moments that would have the audience laughing out loud. There were moments that would make you smile, but not really laugh. And it was a shame that the movie lacked that, because it would have made the movie much better. But the lack of laughs, is made up for with a very real story and characters you can relate to.

Although this was the official submission for the Best Foreign Language Oscar from South Africa, it has a relatively low score--under 6.0. Don't believe it--it's a fabulous film! The film is a buddy film--with two guys traveling a huge distance (Durban to Cape Town--about 1000 miles more or less). Unfortunately for poor Elvis who is PLANNING on getting married when he arrives, things keep happening--and this long drive becomes HUGE--and it looks as if they're never going to make it in time for the wedding.The film has many poignant moments and is probably not what you might consider a comedy. However, it has some very funny portions, a lot of romance and a lot of heart. The leading man is quite likable--very, very likable--which makes this film a lot more enjoyable. You really care about him--as well as his traveling companions.I sure wished I'd watched this film a few weeks ago! That's because I just got back from a trip to South Africa and I would have loved to have seen all the sites and culture before I arrived in the cities portrayed in the film (Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town). Of course, on the other hand, had I hadn't first visited this wonderful country, I might not have understood some of the film due to its cultural references. I am NO expert, but here are a few observations if you do see this lovely film and are NOT familiar with South Africa when you see in the white supremacist portion of the film: When Elvis and his friends enter the white supremacist bar full of Afrikaners (whites of Dutch descent), they are watching rugby--which, in South Africa, is considered the white sport.You'll hear these folks in the bar use the word 'kaffirs'. You DON'T use that word in South Africa--it's like the N-word in the USA and it can even get you arrested in South Africa for hate speech.'She's English'--despite over a hundred years since the last Boer War, there is a tiny bit of animosity between SOME Afrikaners and the English (who won the war in a very brutal fashion).Koos de la Ray was a heroic general from the second Boer War (1899-1902) and the song is considered by SOME to be provocative and anti-black--sort of like singing 'Dixie' in the USA.One thing that might take many in the audience by surprise is hearing the black South Africans. Throughout the film, they speak English and Afrikaans and the Xhosa languages--all within the same sentences at times or switching from one sentence to the next. I didn't hear a lot of this when I visited, but I was there for business--where the language is almost exclusively English. Many Bollywood movies also have people switch from Hindi to English as they speak--something that will surely surprise many Westerners. Curious.Overall, a wonderfully fun film--just the sort of thing that does NOT win Oscars--but the sort of thing that could make a great date film. Well worth seeing and very endearing.

Set against South Africa's breathtaking landscapes, WHITE WEDDING is a high-spirited modern day road comedy about love, commitment, intimacy, friendship, and the unbelievable obstacles that can get in the way of a fairy-tale ending.Ayanda (Zandie Msutwana) is just days away from her lifelong dream of a modern 'white wedding,' complete with a dazzling dress, dozens of bridesmaids, a flamboyant wedding planner and large reception at a fancy hotel. The only problem is that her husband-to-be, the sweet, committed Elvis (Kenneth Nkosi), is 1,000 miles away with his childhood friend and best-man Tumi (Rapulana Seiphemo).What should be a simple, straightforward journey gets seriously derailed, forcing Elvis, Tumi and Rose (Jodie Whittaker), a footloose English doctor they meet along the way to tackle directional mishaps, car accidents, a tag-along goat, and a potentially dangerous encounter with a bar full of redneck Afrikaners seemingly stuck in the era of Apartheid. (FYI NOTE - most white South Africans are NOT like that. i fact the only thing missing from the movie are some normal white S.Africans lol) Ultimately charmed by Elvis' infectious spirit, everyone surrounding him becomes determined to get him to his destination.Meanwhile, poor Ayanda is watching her dream unravel as she wrestles with problems of her own -- from questioning whether there's any truth to Elvis' preposterous excuses of why he might not get to the church on time, being caught between European and African traditions as her mother (Sylvia Mngxekeza) has a very different idea about how the wedding should be orchestrated, and dealing with the unexpected arrival of Tony (Mbulelo Grootboom), a slick old boyfriend with a questionable agenda.WHITE WEDDING subtly interweaves South Africa's history as bride, groom, friends and lovers are forced to look at the meaning of marriage, fidelity, honesty and the two sides to every story.

The soon-to-be-wed Elvis (Kenneth Nkosi) and his best friend and best man Tumi (Rapulana Seiphemo) are on route from Durban to Cape Town to attend rehearsals for Elvis's wedding. However their journey does not go according to plan as both Elvis and Tumi struggle to find their way across the country, and they meet up with Rose (Jodie Whittaker), a doctor from England, who is trying to return to home.The narrative for White Wedding is not exactly something unheard of but it makes for a refreshing tale in traditional South African cinema, usually concerned with Apartheid, crime or other negative aspects of modern society. Instead, White Wedding is far more casual and relaxed though this is not to say that its issues are not serious. The central three characters all suffer from some form of anxiety in regards to relationships. Elvis is devoted to his wife Ayanda (Zandile Msutwana) but as the story progresses he becomes jealous that his wife might be spending too much of her time with her ex-boyfriend. Tumi has no interest in marriage and his flirtatious habits make his prospects at a long term relationship difficult. Rose, on the other hand, learned that her fiancée was being unfaithful. Evidently it is relationships which become the film's prime concern. Another issue at the heart of White Wedding is racism and the ideal of an equal society.This issue is played upon by much of the comedic nature of the film. Strangely, while the film has comedy throughout and is marketed as such, the comedy never overrides the dramatic elements of the text. In many respects, the comedy becomes situational, playing upon South African societal norms, such as Elvis and Tumi vising a bar in an Afrikaans town. It all makes for good, clean fun even if the film proves too idealistic for its own good. The acting is, in general, quite good. Nkosi feels comfortable with his role though he tends to overact on the odd occasion, and Seiphemo is as solid as always. Whittaker is a surprise casting, giving the film somewhat of an international appeal, and while she is not acting at her best she does her job well enough. Msutwana is the only of the cast who appears somewhat off-putting. Throughout she is workable but she goes through the odd scene once and while as monotonic.The cinematography feels too simple and expected, though strangely this is not a bad move on part of the director Jann Turner with her directorial debut. Turner goes about refreshing African cinema, and proves to rather make a sound film instead of allowing it to be plagued by a poor script, story or acting. She will undoubtedly free her style once she gets more used to creating movies instead of her usual television shows.Apart from the occasional mild swearing, there is no content which sensitive viewers would disapprove of.White Wedding is not an excellent comedy but as the sum of it's parts, its worth a watch. The story is simple though lacks subtly in explaining its messages and the acting is commendable though it does wane at times. While strictly a comedy to be enjoyed by South Africans it does have some international appeal. However the film should be viewed as a drama with a good does of comedy rather then a strict comedy, and perhaps by not being so conservative with style and form, White Wedding could be enjoyed by all.