Life, Above All
2/4
Starring: Khomotso Manyaka, Harriet Lenabe, Lerato Mvelase, Keaobaka Makanyane, Aubrey Poolo
Rated PG-13 for Mature Thematic Material and Some Sexual Content
The fault of "Life, Above All" is not that it doesn't have anything new to bring to the table. Quite the contrary, in fact. Rather, it's that director Oliver Schmitz doesn't find a way to make them gel. Or make each element feel complete. "Life, Above All" feels muddled and at times incoherent.
Chanda (Manyaka) is struggling. Her mother Lillian (Mvelase) is inconsolable after the death of her infant daughter, her father Jonah (Poolo) is only around when someone finds him and brings him home (which is a good thing since at such times he's usually falling down drunk), her younger siblings are impossible to manage, and her best friend Esther (Makanyane) is ostracized by the community since she's forced into prostitution. But Chanda is a strong girl, and when her mother grows sicker by the day, she's determined to find out why and how she can help.
I applaud Oliver Schmitz for taking on the challenge of filming this complex story. "Life, Above All" had to have been a tremendous challenge to direct, dealing with numerous layered themes such as poverty, culture division, and the insidious nature of gossip and prejudice. It's just that these ideas are never really explored very thoroughly, and Schmitz never finds a way to combine them into a compelling whole. The narrative feels very choppy as if Schmitz had written everything he wanted to do in a pile of notecards and then tried to make them fit merely by pushing them together.
What ultimately makes the film watchable is an array of nicely cultivated performances. Newcomer Khomotso Manyaka is a natural performer, thoroughly bringing Chanda's strength and vulnerability to the screen with seemingly little effort. She has the presence to make sure she stands alongside more seasoned performers, and when the film's story fails, she picks up the slack. Harriet Lenabe is a delight as the feisty Mrs. Tafa, who isn't nearly as scary or knowledgeable as she believes she is. But she has a good heart and always wants best for Chanda. As Lillian, Lerato Mvalese shows internal strength even as she grows weaker. She will do what she must to ensure the best for herself and her children. Perhaps the most intriguing character is the one with the least screen time. That's Esther, played by Keaobaka Makanyane (also a screen newbie). Esther's story is tragic, but her devotion to Chanda is strong. Although the lack of development makes her almost a cliché, Makanyane overcomes it.
African cinema tends to have a few recurring themes, like the clash between the old and the new, social and political conflicts and a rejection of colonialism. To varying degrees, this is true of "Life, Above All." Much of what happens is because of how old traditions and beliefs clash with reality and the humanity of people. Schmitz takes a nonjudgmental point of view, and that's the correct decision, I think. Rather than casting people as heroes and villains, he shows how people's unsubstantiated ideas and prejudices can cause pain to those who have done nothing wrong or are simply trying to get by.
All that being said, "Life, Above All" is rather dull. With a rewritten script and a stronger director, this could have been a powerful experience. As it is, it really isn't worth your time.
Starring: Khomotso Manyaka, Harriet Lenabe, Lerato Mvelase, Keaobaka Makanyane, Aubrey Poolo
Rated PG-13 for Mature Thematic Material and Some Sexual Content
The fault of "Life, Above All" is not that it doesn't have anything new to bring to the table. Quite the contrary, in fact. Rather, it's that director Oliver Schmitz doesn't find a way to make them gel. Or make each element feel complete. "Life, Above All" feels muddled and at times incoherent.
Chanda (Manyaka) is struggling. Her mother Lillian (Mvelase) is inconsolable after the death of her infant daughter, her father Jonah (Poolo) is only around when someone finds him and brings him home (which is a good thing since at such times he's usually falling down drunk), her younger siblings are impossible to manage, and her best friend Esther (Makanyane) is ostracized by the community since she's forced into prostitution. But Chanda is a strong girl, and when her mother grows sicker by the day, she's determined to find out why and how she can help.
I applaud Oliver Schmitz for taking on the challenge of filming this complex story. "Life, Above All" had to have been a tremendous challenge to direct, dealing with numerous layered themes such as poverty, culture division, and the insidious nature of gossip and prejudice. It's just that these ideas are never really explored very thoroughly, and Schmitz never finds a way to combine them into a compelling whole. The narrative feels very choppy as if Schmitz had written everything he wanted to do in a pile of notecards and then tried to make them fit merely by pushing them together.
What ultimately makes the film watchable is an array of nicely cultivated performances. Newcomer Khomotso Manyaka is a natural performer, thoroughly bringing Chanda's strength and vulnerability to the screen with seemingly little effort. She has the presence to make sure she stands alongside more seasoned performers, and when the film's story fails, she picks up the slack. Harriet Lenabe is a delight as the feisty Mrs. Tafa, who isn't nearly as scary or knowledgeable as she believes she is. But she has a good heart and always wants best for Chanda. As Lillian, Lerato Mvalese shows internal strength even as she grows weaker. She will do what she must to ensure the best for herself and her children. Perhaps the most intriguing character is the one with the least screen time. That's Esther, played by Keaobaka Makanyane (also a screen newbie). Esther's story is tragic, but her devotion to Chanda is strong. Although the lack of development makes her almost a cliché, Makanyane overcomes it.
African cinema tends to have a few recurring themes, like the clash between the old and the new, social and political conflicts and a rejection of colonialism. To varying degrees, this is true of "Life, Above All." Much of what happens is because of how old traditions and beliefs clash with reality and the humanity of people. Schmitz takes a nonjudgmental point of view, and that's the correct decision, I think. Rather than casting people as heroes and villains, he shows how people's unsubstantiated ideas and prejudices can cause pain to those who have done nothing wrong or are simply trying to get by.
All that being said, "Life, Above All" is rather dull. With a rewritten script and a stronger director, this could have been a powerful experience. As it is, it really isn't worth your time.
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