Tale of triumph over adversity
If you are a smoker, I dare you to watch this film. Centred on the scary epidemic of tuberculosis (TB), South African film The Lucky Specials is entertaining but equally educational, with Oros Mphofu playing the lead actor and doing a decent job of narrating the engaging storyline.
The cast is dominated by young, upcoming actors, new kids on the acting block, with the legends portraying smaller roles.
The performances are truly commanding and deserve a standing ovation.
If you ask me, the pace of the storyline is consistent, not too slow nor too fast, and allows viewers to grasp the message director Rea Rangaka brings across about the dangers of TB.
Compared to great South African films like Yesterday, The Lucky Special doesn’t lag too far behind in terms of production, especially considering the dreadful topic it tackles persuasively.
The story can be summed up in a few words: triumph over adversity, with a young boy eventually getting to live his music dream, learn about his illness and overcome it.
Although there are a few comical moments here and there, the film is emotional to a larger degree and is meant to leave the viewer thinking about their health choices and the everyday risk of contracting TB.
The animations, which are very effective (although stomach-turning to a certain extent), are used to drive the message home, providing a profound connection with the viewer and an increased understanding about the message the film is trying to convey.
Legendary singer Blondie Makhene does a splendid job and is very convincing as a person with TB, considering that on-screen acting isn’t something he is known for.
He may not be a Patrick Shai or Owen Sejake, but the gifted Makhene appeared to have just the right amount of flair needed for a struggling musician suffering from the frightful virus.