If you are planning for a Netflix & chips session, A Sweto Romance is a nice relaxing rom-com that may suit your taste. This film is one hour and forty-one minutes long and is an adaptation of the Nigerian movie A Naija Christmas (2021) available on Netflix too, so if you are looking to kill some time, this film can do that for you.
The arc of the movie starts light-heartedly and ends sweetly. By the time you are done with the movie, all threads of the plot are resolved satisfactorily in one way or another. Directed by Rolie Nikiwe, It is one of those South African movies that feels great to watch when you are having a Clint Eastwood marathon.
The three-act play has an interesting hook and linear narrative. We are introduced to Menzi, a successful businessman who seems to be willing to marry but is somehow wary of ladies. He’s not the typical guy so to speak, he’s quite modern in his thinking, but in equal fairness, there is an undertone of hesitance in him. Menzi’s sibling is Sandile who is into music writing and produces some of his music but has not reached the expected levels of success.
Even though Sandile has been engaged to Sente for almost six years, he does not appear to be very invested in their union. Finally, let us talk about Sky. He is the youngest sibling and a talented designer. Sky spends most of his time throughout the movie talking to random people. Because of his looks and his unwillingness to reveal any intimacies, Sky tends to project a gay image towards his life in general.
Three windows, the three are also called such because Bongekile is the mother of seven and is a regular churchgoer, as A proud God believer. She gets appalled by her son’s perspectives about marriage and, if none of them gets married, she plans to pack up the house and sell it by the end of the year.
Menzi, Sandile, and Sky three have their reasons for marrying the house in the first place, which was the seed of the story. The film expands into several ideas which include queer theory, the need for validation, and living in a self-made bubble among others.
The relationship as portrayed in ‘A Sweto Love Story’ is one that revolves around love. Sente’s love for Sandile is intense and unyielding. Though Sandile is an acknowledged woman saboteur, on the contrary. As for this, Sente receives pain every time she tries to engage her boyfriend in the real sense of the word.
When Sandile is trying to calm the situation down, they go on a hot air balloon, and he gets struck by acrophobia. It is quite beautiful the way Sente speaks to him and helps him to become calm. Bashewa’s neck of the woods has certain strengths too when it comes to the verge proposal scene. One can empathize with Sente as she reacts and instills sympathy in audiences as well for her kindheartedness.
Comedy is another; the other strong through-line in the Netflix film, apart from romance. The minor section of the tussling fans, Bridgette and Bongekile, is therefore played against the latter’s rivalry amusingly. Bongekile throws a family wedding and creates so much noise that everybody credits her with being the queen of the diocese. And there was nothing more hilarious and mortifying for all the cast present than the love-making during the prayer scene.
The producers depict the LGBTQIA+ theme with respect and add it to the script role. There is also the apology scene at Sente’s house that will roll you over with laughter. The film is the best in such minute particulars as its beautiful set, design, and splendid costumes. It has glossy visuals; the world that it creates is believable.
There is no particular carving out of voice at the expense of one another. Menzi, however, is rather obnoxiously pedantic in all that he does, perhaps even too pedantic to the point of being dull or mechanistic. Menzi’s impression as an actor of Sparky Xulu is such. In contrast, Senti is shown to be strong and self-aware, able to contain her emotions and her duties. The other actors are ok but these two characters in the main cast are impressive.
As such, A Sweto Love Story is not a new tale, and even the contexts should be familiar, but rather is an old tale with a new approach. The plot itself appears to be over-familiar but the film’s screenplay is interesting enough to keep you attentive.
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