Eintlik Nogal Baie

Source: joburgeast.co.za

Starring:  André Lotter, Marisa Drummond, Zak Hendrikz

Year:  2017
Running Time:  99 minutes

As the founding member and president of the Rickus Fan Club, I was obviously super excited to watch Eintlik Nogal Baie - finally! - and I am pleased to say I was not disappointed.  In fact, the film has more depth than I expected so I'm glad I have added it to my collection.

The film begins with a shirtless Jay van Niekerk (André Lotter) going about his morning routine.  We learn that the handsome Jay is the illustrator behind the successful comic book series about Bucky, a blue crime-fighting budgie.  En route to a comic convention in Johannesburg, he receives some bad news from his mother: his father has had a heart attack.  However, since his mother is prone to overreacting, Jay doesn’t pay much attention to her messages.

His assistant, Burger, convinces him that family comes first and puts him on the next flight to George.  But he is too late; his father has passed.  At the funeral, Jay meets Ally (Marisa Drummond), who is taking photographs at the cemetery as part of a collection of photos about life that she is working on.  Later, they meet up at a petrol station on their way to Cape Town, Jay in a restored Ford Zephyr (a gift from his father) and Ally in a pink VW minivan.  Jay’s car breaks down, leaving him stranded on the side of the road until Ally arrives to rescue him.

In order to alleviate some of the awkwardness between them on the road Ally suggests they play an amended version of “Never have I ever” but instead of taking a shot, they remove an item of clothing.  Nice one, Ally – that’s my kinda road trip.  Soon Jay is in nothing but his undies and they stop for a quick dip in a rock pool.  Sadly the road trip comes to an end but Ally gives Jay her number, reminding him that “life is too short”, a motif that runs throughout the film.

A beautiful scene follows in which they dance together on the roof of the van with the lights of Cape Town stretched out below them – and so begins their love affair (and a montage of beach walks, waterfall kisses and slow-motion love-making).  It is then time to meet the parents but Ally’s ex, Dewald, has also been invited.  He is clearly an asshole but her parents love him.  The dinner party becomes increasingly awkward – her father refers to Jay as James while her mother describes Dewald as a philanthropist who can do no wrong in their eyes.  The animosity between Jay and Dewald intensifies until the latter punches Jay and plants a valuable gem stone in his jacket pocket, making it look as though he was stealing from Ally’s family.

However, Dewald is in trouble with a shady character and needs the precious stone (a golden sapphire from the Congo) to get himself out of it.  Jay finds out about Dewald’s theft of the stone and threatens to go to the police and tell Ally the truth.  But, in a shocking twist (no spoilers), Dewald makes a terrible mistake that has tragic consequences.

The lead actors have excellent chemistry, while André delivers an outstanding performance that shows off his versatility as an actor.  There is also some striking scenery of Cape Town and surrounds, as well as an enjoyable soundtrack (the closing track being a highlight).  I expected a light-hearted romantic comedy-drama so I was definitely not anticipating the need for tissues maar ek het van die fliek gehou – nogal baie.