White Wedding (2009)

the audience applauded

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

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.

I think that this film is purely South African entertainment and it is brilliant as such. Foreigners with no interest in that country won't be able to understand why it caused such a stir in the RSA and won so many fans.White Wedding is important not only because it shows a positive side of the 'SA experience'. After watching it, you will understand what unites all South Africans irrespective of their skin colour or cultural background.It is a film about what it's like to be South African. And it's a valuable contribution in the country that is still strongly divided along racial and ethnic lines. Once people realise the common denominator,. they might be able to understand each other better - and, eventually, make the Rainbow Nation ideal more sensible.