The lead character has got talent (I've seen him on stage), but either he's just not good enough for this role or the director just didn't push hard enough. Also, I suspect that the movie would come off better was I unfamiliar with the language used... if you ask any ordinary black South African, it's quite unconvincing.
First time I watched this, I was hoping that it would match the excellent SA township tv series, Yizi Yizo, and it failed dismally. It was still hard-hitting and skillfully portrays some of the poor township realities of the country, but it turned more towards some sort of morality play. I guess it's a matter of taste, but it should at least have been convincing.
highlights:
- the camerawork and the sets; I remember the music sounding superior the first time I saw the movie
- the comic performance by one Kenneth Nkosi, who plays the dumb, yes-man gang member
- the scene regarding title characters's childhood was quite good, complete with excellent performances from the young boy and his father
- nice performance by Zola, who runs an operation where he strips and re-sells stolen car parts