Spud (2010) Reviews

• Fair Effort - but non South African audiences might not enjoy

  riker-918-6650912010-12-09

  Having enjoyed the book and grown up around that time I was anxious to see how the movie turned out. Many nostalgic memories were aroused during the movie. I thought it was well made and true to the book - a good mix of humour and the serious business of growing up. The acting was good (Cleese was brilliant - exactly how I pictured the guv) and the scenery was great - I love the Natal Midlands. The crazy eight could have been better developed. I wanted to see more of Mad Dog and Vern. Sadly I don't think it is going to appeal to a wider audience outside South Africa. I imagine that most guys from the US just wont get it or appreciate it as they will not be familiar with the historical context of the time. I hope I am wrong because it is a good movie.

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• Spud- unique, touching and funny... off to the madness continues!

  Barney1232010-12-02

  I read the book Spud, a good 4 years ago and therefore have a very vague memory of what actually happened. But I can never forget the laughter it gave me and an awe of the crazy world Spud finds himself in. I came into this movie, with a very positive attitude but with a clear perception in my mind that you should not compare the book to the movie, how can a one and a half hour movie encompass all what the book has to show and the story it tells. It is an impossibility, I accepted that and tried to watch the movie with a clear mind and a unbias approach (being a south African) to the film. This film is being released overseas next year. Therefore I am judging this movie not as a South Afican film, but an international one. Is it truly a good film, does it work? Well, yes it is and it does. In this review I will not mention the book again. This is a review based purely on a film...called Spud. This Movie is shown, through the eyes and ears of John Milton- aka Spud. With the audience hearing his voice/ his thoughts. Spud tells us his story, we are guided through the movie with his voice explaining to us the ins and outs of his world. This by itself is unique, it immediately attaches us closely to spud and by the end of the first scene you are already feeling emotionally attached to the character. This technique is used extensively throughout the film, but only as a tool to help the audience become familiar with the circumstances surrounding spud. Crucially this is not overused which allows the movie to flow. The characters in the film are strong and generally well cast. With two notable performances. Firstly the guv being played by none other than John Cleese. He is as you would expect, brilliant and funny. But it is the unexpected and sincere emotional portrayal he gives to the guv that makes it so special, so human. Troye Sivan who plays spud, is ultimately, well how do I put this... spectacular. It is his performance which makes this movie so good. His Facial expressions and the emotions he feels flows from the screen into our brain, into our hearts instantaneously. It is truly something special, something out of the ordinary. A Spud we can all be proud of. This movie is of course funny, with many laughs traveling around the cinema. But its a movie with so much more than that, so much more than a cheap laugh. With all this being said, this movie as it stands so far in this review deserves a 10/10 but then why did I give it an 8? I must say not everything works in the movie, Character development of many important characters was very little and unmeaningful. Spuds interaction on a personal level with the crazy 8 was less then I would of liked and due to the book and thus the movie, the climax was, disappointing.The singing was prerecorded, which may make it sound better but also unnatural, not something I would of preferred. Even with that being said, as a whole this film works and it works well. It deserves to be seen, to be enjoyed.Its Something Different, something special. May the Madness continue :D and may the tickets sell.

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• Touching and believable

  mike_25112012-08-09

  It's a rare movie that manages to be both cute and naive, mature and interesting; Spud achieves the paradox to perfection. Anchored by the superb Troye Sivian, this is an easygoing, often funny coming of age story set in a South African boarding school. Whilst the issues of the country are referenced, they are not essential to the plot or even the characterization - people from any nationality will be able to enjoy this. There is a great dynamic amongst the cast of a whole. The boys in the Crazy 8 appear natural, with a great chemistry and sense of fun, which stop the film getting weighed down by the emotional issues encompassing growing up, fitting in and bullying that crop up. Sivian steals the show as the title character, with an astonishingly touching and believable performance that belies his years. He's also beautifully shot, the director capturing the wide eyed wonder of his endlessly expressive face, shy and insecure but growing in confidence. Cleese is the best of the adults, being both understated and moving as Spud's alcoholic mentor. His scenes with Sivian are especially notable, and are really the heart and soul of the whole film. Thematically this is essentially a piece about both choice and fate - the importance of making the right decision, whilst never losing sight of the fact we can only play the cards that life has dealt us. If this sounds on paper a little heavy for a school drama, it doesn't feel it in practice. There is no philosophy shoved down the viewers throat, and although the film has points to make and issues to explore, it does it in a subtle enough way that it will not hinder the enjoyment of kids and young adults who might want some light entertainment of lesser substance. The only gripe was the somewhat tragic ending - the death of a character close to the hero is a perennial plot device of scriptwriters and filmmakers, but it is still a very lazy way of drawing pathos and emotion from the viewer. In this case it was well built to but still felt unnecessary. While I'm not suggesting every film should end on unrealistically joyful terms, there are other ways to create sympathy than blunt death, and it didn't seem necessary in this case in relation to the plot, character or tone of the film. Overall, though, this is a wonderful piece, both funny and moving and engrossing. More people should see it.

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• Pleasant, if predictable. Excellent performances.

  ginocox-206-3369682015-05-23

  "Spud" is a pleasant coming of age comedy with stellar performances by Sivan and Royal. John Cleese delivers what is possibly his career best performance in a dramatic role. Other performances are generally solid, particularly Cope and Kriek. The plot is familiar and often predictable; however, the execution is so organic that one seldom feels aware that one seldom feels conscious of viewing a film, even during the frequent voice-overs. There are a number of unique elements to the story that seem largely squandered. The story is set in South Africa, but could just as easily have been set in Britain, Canada, Australia or a number of other locations. It occurs during a turbulent period in the country's history, but the school is isolated from political events. Spud attends a posh private school on a full scholarship, but while he is bullied, he's never bullied over his modest background. He reads "A Tale of Two Cities" and performs in "Oliver Twist," but there is no effort to draw any parallels with the country's political events or Spud's circumstances. While the film seems predictable in many respects, one expects various elements to be more fully developed and to have a greater impact on the story. Various subplots converge at the climax in manners that are not unexpected, but don't seem entirely earned. Spud is given an option that doesn't seem earned and The Guv's situation changes abruptly in a manner that doesn't seem the logical and necessary progression of prior events. The climax might have been more fulfilling if the characters had done more to earn the outcomes. Production values are adequate. The pace is a little slow at times. There is one scene with Spud reading in the foreground while minor events occur in the background that serves to remind the viewer that the filmmakers don't do much with the background in most shots. Overall, it's a pleasantly entertaining film that could have done much more with some of the unique elements in the story.

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• Spud Strikes a Chord and Resonates Deeply

  ourmanintokyo2012-03-14

  "Spud" is set in South Africa at the cusp of Apartheid's collapse. However, such worldly concerns pale in comparison to the traumas and triumphs of the main character as he endures his first year of boarding school. Perhaps it's a British colonial thing, but the obligatory gang torments and slow uphill slog toward acceptance are probably all too familiar to Brits, Canadians and Aussies alike. And so are the quandaries the main character, has to face: should he try to avoid the school "loser" in a bid to win the approval of his peers, or do what he knows deep down is right? That main character, brought brilliantly to life by boy wonder Troye Sivan, manages to pull the viewer in with a powerful, unaffected, guileless charm. He's Everyman in miniature, and his pangs and joys resonate deeply. Sivan's immense talent shows a surprising depth and sensitivity for one so young - he completely convinces as John Milton, dubbed "Spud" by his rougher classmates. Bouyed by the peerless master of comedy John Cleese, Spud soon rises to the level of a classic cinematic masterpiece. The rapport between the crotchety old lit teacher known as "The Guv" and his promising young protégé is bang on, eliciting the gamut of reactions from pathos to hilarity. Cleese is at his best when rudely pontificating, and he doesn't disappoint here. As Spud's doomed pal Gekko, Jamie Royal also provides a superb performance, and Genna Blair is perfect in her role as the nascent sunbeam of Milton's first love. You'll also find yourself and every single one of your old schoolmates in the main characters and supporting cast. The lush settings are beautifully captured by cinematographer Lance Gewer, Ed Jordan's score is just the right degrees of uplifting and poignant, and Sivan's voice is aptly pure, expressive, and gently powerful. The movie's based on the best-selling novel "Spud", which I've not yet had the pleasure of reading. Its tone is very much akin to John Irving's best, though, for my money, this is easily successor to Stephen King's classic "Stand By Me". Yes, it's that good. Watch it. You love it, and you won't forget it. 10 out of 10, with room to spare.

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