LOOKING FOR LOVE IN CINEMAS
LAST night saw the star-studded premiere of the local movie Looking For Love.
Starring Trevor Gumbi, Lillian Dube and Phindile Gwala, the movie is about Buyi, played by the hilarious Celeste Ntuli, who is under pressure to find love.
The 38-year-old workaholic takes the viewers through the ups and downs of dating for women well into their thirties.
Nigerian-born filmmaker Adze Ugah said the idea originated two years ago after a conversation he had with Ntuli about doing a movie loosely based on her life and her journey to becoming a stand-up comedian.
“What’s unique about the film is that it’s an adult comedy, which we believe is a first for local cinemas,” Ugah said.
“It tells the story of an average girl who is doing her best to get by and has no choice but to use her wits to navigate the complex maze of relationships, while also figuring out a career path.”
The story begins with a disastrous drunken display at her younger sister’s wedding.
Buyi has her parents worried that she’s wasting her life working at meaningless jobs.
They insist that she find herself a good man and settle down. Goofing around was fine at 20, even 30, they insist, but Buyi’s almost 40.
She returns to Joburg, feeling deflated about her love life. Where the hell is a heavier set, black woman going to find a man in South Africa?
Desperate, Buyi reluctantly allows her beautiful, sexy best friend Lindi (played by Gwala) to help find her a man from her large collection.
Following a series of catastrophic dates – including questionable concoctions, a quirky magician with a cat obsession, and a sex addict who can’t get enough of a big butt – Buyi quickly loses hope of finding her match.
Meanwhile, Greg (played by Gumbi), an old schoolmate from Buyi’s past, comes to town with the aim of becoming her manager and turning her into a star comedian.
The film opens at cinemas nationwide on August 31.