'The Two of Us' is about a pair of siblings who really help each other grow up in the township of Alexandra, Johannesburg, South Africa. Thulani, a hardened thief and general badass, is tough and strict on his younger sister, Zanele, who is just starting to blossom into a beautiful young lady. This adds tension to their relationship, as he's unflinching when it comes to men getting near his sister, in spite of her natural curiosity. And he becomes violent, which just pushes her away, towards a sugar daddy.
The story unfolds with a slow sense of dread and the inevitable fate of a tragedy seems eminent. But what makes, 'Thina Sobabili' so tense is the many angles from which this tragedy may strike. When the truth is revealed about how the two came to live without their parents the pace of the film slows down as every realisation washes through over.
'Thina Sobabili' deals with some very heavy subject matter: child abuse, broken families and school girls dating old men for 'gifts', and at times feels like its going to crumble into a melodramatic piece of fluff but never does. Ernest Nkosi has managed to keep the story on its rails all the way to the end. The end, however, does seem like it's shooting too hard at sentimentality, and misses, but still brings the film to a defining end.
The film feels like it was going in the usual South African drama manner, with sad beats and very little hope of a bright ending but with a few intense images the film surpasses the usual drab and taps into something darker. There is an air of Extreme cinema in 'Thina Sobabili' that lies more so in the subject matter than the filmmaking. That being said, a shoestring budget and shooting time of one week leaves very little for truly outrageous imagery. I will be keeping my eye on Ernest Nkosi with hopes that he incorporates some horror into his storytelling in the future. He may just set South Africa affright.
The music. Oh damn, the music. So magical. So touching. You can hear the main song in the soundtrack. Go have a listen. Tell me it doesn't affect you. The soft groaning and moaning really works so beautifully in this film.
If you get the chance to see 'Thina Sobaili' I would strongly recommend it as the film really gives you the most dramatic slice of township life for youths trying to just grow up. Watch beautiful elegiac storytelling being mastered.
