Spud

I went in with very low expectations as I usually do for most south African films but with a revitalisation of the local film industry I thought let me do the right thing and give it a chance.

Well I'm glad I did, for two reasons, one the film was very well acted and all credit goes to "Spud" as well as the inimitable Mr Cleese, an unsung icon of the silver screen if every there was one, and two it's great to see something other than Schuster Slapstick or Afrikaans kitsch making money at the local is lekker box office.

So why the 6 out of 10. A few things spring to mind. The direction, with all due respect to Donavon Marsh, felt very pedestrian, nothing jumped out of the screen as feeling fresh or original. I realise the film was set in 1990 but did it have to feel like it was made in 1990.

The pace was off - it felt all over the place - sometimes it dragged and sometimes it was a great time at the movies. The editing of the film seemed very rushed, obvious and almost unfinished (which is unusual considering Megan Gill is probably our biggest editing export) (maybe that's just professional jealously talking ;) and lastly which for me was the greatest problem of all was the appalling musical score which really diluted so many of the films key dramatic moments.

Why Ed Jordan was used to create anything other than a cheesy early nineties advertising jingle is beyond me.

But look this may sound terribly negative but the film showed huge promise and with more time, tighter scissors and a vastly different score we could have had south Africa's answer to, dare I day it "Dead Poets Society Lite" But well done - very valiant effort with it heart in all the right places... :)

SPUD with Troye Sivan, John Cleese, Jamie Royal, Jason Cope, Aaron McIlroy, Genna Blair, Tanit Phoenix and Jeremy Crutchley, directed by Donavan Marsh. Rating: 8 out of 10.

THE eagerly anticipated screen version of John van De Ruit's beloved bestseller is a delightful, funny and ultimately touching film that provides marvelous entertainment and delivers just about everything the book's many fans could have hoped for.

The casting of John Cleese was a major coup for the movie's producers and the Monty Python man - who was unforgettably amusing in "Fawlty Towers", does not disappoint. Cleese is terrific as Mr Edley (aka "The Guv"), the eccentric and alcoholic old teacher who mentors our titular young hero and introduces him to books like "Lord of the Rings" and "Catch 22". Cleese is both hilarious and moving in the role. Also excellent is Troye Sivan - who sings beautifully, as the vulnerable, lovable Spud. Jamie Royal also serves up something special with his performance as Spud's doomed true friend, "Gekko". And there are lively supporting turns from the likes of Aaron McIlroy (Dad), Jason Cope ("Sparerib" Wilson), Sven Ruygrok (Rambo) and Genna Blair, who is perfectly cast as the lovely "Mermaid".

The story begins in 1990, shortly before the release of Nelson Mandela. The winds of change are already blowing through South Africa when John Milton (Sivan) - a working class boy with a scholarship - is deposited at the posh Michaelhouse boarding school in his crazed parents' bombed- out car. As he lies in bed that night he thinks out aloud: "Tomorrow school proper begins. Maybe I'll die in my sleep and miss it completely." No such luck, and the worst is still to come. John is a late developer, so when he hits the showers, the other boys, noticing his little willie and lack of pubic hair, nickname him Spud. The name sticks.

But the witty, intelligent young Spud is determined to fit in with his dorm mates, like the "Rain Man" Vern, the sickly Gecko, Mad Dog, Rambo, porn-obsessed Boggo and the ever hungry Fatty - who holds the school farting record. Spud also wants to be an actor, hopes to shine at cricket and takes an interest in politics. Things do start to improve when "The Guv" takes Spud under his wing, though. And when - during the school holidays, he meets and falls in love with the girl he dubs "Mermaid".

"Spud", which features a fine score by Ed Jordan and splendid cinematography by Lance Gewer, is not a sentimental film. It is funny and exuberant and nostalgic, but it is also surprisingly moving and the relationship between Spud and The Guv has plenty of emotional resonance, as do other aspects of the film.

Most faithful to the spirit of Van De Ruit's book, "Spud" is a deliciously human and heartfelt film which tells a wonderful South African story with skill and sensitivity. While this story and its settings are uniquely South African, the themes are universal and there is every chance this charming film will also find a level of success in other parts of the world - such as Britain and Australia. But whether or not it works in the rest of the world is immaterial. "Spud" will be a well deserved smash hit at the local box-office and leave audiences satisfied, happy and ready for the sequel. Do not miss it. GA.

"Spud" is set in South Africa at the cusp of Apartheid's collapse. However, such worldly concerns pale in comparison to the traumas and triumphs of the main character as he endures his first year of boarding school.

Perhaps it's a British colonial thing, but the obligatory gang torments and slow uphill slog toward acceptance are probably all too familiar to Brits, Canadians and Aussies alike. And so are the quandaries the main character, has to face: should he try to avoid the school "loser" in a bid to win the approval of his peers, or do what he knows deep down is right? That main character, brought brilliantly to life by boy wonder Troye Sivan, manages to pull the viewer in with a powerful, unaffected, guileless charm. He's Everyman in miniature, and his pangs and joys resonate deeply. Sivan's immense talent shows a surprising depth and sensitivity for one so young - he completely convinces as John Milton, dubbed "Spud" by his rougher classmates.

Bouyed by the peerless master of comedy John Cleese, Spud soon rises to the level of a classic cinematic masterpiece. The rapport between the crotchety old lit teacher known as "The Guv" and his promising young protégé is bang on, eliciting the gamut of reactions from pathos to hilarity. Cleese is at his best when rudely pontificating, and he doesn't disappoint here.

As Spud's doomed pal Gekko, Jamie Royal also provides a superb performance, and Genna Blair is perfect in her role as the nascent sunbeam of Milton's first love. You'll also find yourself and every single one of your old schoolmates in the main characters and supporting cast.

The lush settings are beautifully captured by cinematographer Lance Gewer, Ed Jordan's score is just the right degrees of uplifting and poignant, and Sivan's voice is aptly pure, expressive, and gently powerful.

The movie's based on the best-selling novel "Spud", which I've not yet had the pleasure of reading. Its tone is very much akin to John Irving's best, though, for my money, this is easily successor to Stephen King's classic "Stand By Me". Yes, it's that good.

Watch it. You love it, and you won't forget it. 10 out of 10, with room to spare.

I enjoyed 'Spud' today. I wasn't expecting much, which always helps. It was filmed in my old school, Michaelhouse, and it shows it very well for the beautiful place that it is - in a lovely setting.

Mostly the action is quite accurate too, for live in that particular boarding school, as I remember it. It hasn't changed all that much, either, over the past 35 odd years. The old Chemistry Lecture theatre is now the English classroom in the film, which seems slightly odd. The theatre was being built when I was there - a boy called Cook, fell through the skylight onto the floor below, leaving his teethmarks in the floor. He fell in front of the painting of the three witches in Macbeth - which I didn't see in the film, sensible.

The acting is good, and the South African accents authentic without being too grating. John Cleese acts very well - an not his usual comic style at all.

I'm not sure how you'll find the film if you didn't go to school there - probably better because you'll not be thinking of what all the different places meant to you, over the years!

I read the book Spud, a good 4 years ago and therefore have a very vague memory of what actually happened. But I can never forget the laughter it gave me and an awe of the crazy world Spud finds himself in.

I came into this movie, with a very positive attitude but with a clear perception in my mind that you should not compare the book to the movie, how can a one and a half hour movie encompass all what the book has to show and the story it tells. It is an impossibility, I accepted that and tried to watch the movie with a clear mind and a unbias approach (being a south African) to the film. This film is being released overseas next year. Therefore I am judging this movie not as a South Afican film, but an international one. Is it truly a good film, does it work? Well, yes it is and it does. In this review I will not mention the book again. This is a review based purely on a film...called Spud.

This Movie is shown, through the eyes and ears of John Milton- aka Spud. With the audience hearing his voice/ his thoughts. Spud tells us his story, we are guided through the movie with his voice explaining to us the ins and outs of his world. This by itself is unique, it immediately attaches us closely to spud and by the end of the first scene you are already feeling emotionally attached to the character. This technique is used extensively throughout the film, but only as a tool to help the audience become familiar with the circumstances surrounding spud. Crucially this is not overused which allows the movie to flow.

The characters in the film are strong and generally well cast. With two notable performances. Firstly the guv being played by none other than John Cleese. He is as you would expect, brilliant and funny. But it is the unexpected and sincere emotional portrayal he gives to the guv that makes it so special, so human. Troye Sivan who plays spud, is ultimately, well how do I put this... spectacular. It is his performance which makes this movie so good. His Facial expressions and the emotions he feels flows from the screen into our brain, into our hearts instantaneously. It is truly something special, something out of the ordinary. A Spud we can all be proud of.

This movie is of course funny, with many laughs traveling around the cinema. But its a movie with so much more than that, so much more than a cheap laugh. With all this being said, this movie as it stands so far in this review deserves a 10/10 but then why did I give it an 8? I must say not everything works in the movie, Character development of many important characters was very little and unmeaningful. Spuds interaction on a personal level with the crazy 8 was less then I would of liked and due to the book and thus the movie, the climax was, disappointing.The singing was prerecorded, which may make it sound better but also unnatural, not something I would of preferred.

Even with that being said, as a whole this film works and it works well. It deserves to be seen, to be enjoyed.Its Something Different, something special. May the Madness continue :D and may the tickets sell.