Tim Greene follows up his dramatic first feature "A Boy Called Twist" with a somewhat funny ensamble in "Skeem" . A straight comedy playing for laughs about a mixed bag of individuals, in a cheap resort after a box full of money.
Like most comedies it's a hit and miss situation, with some laughs being stronger than others, but the performances from the various cast are inspiring - although I felt the screenplay held back some punches towards the last act of the movie. Yet Tim Greene has to be congratulated though, on trying to deliver something light and entertaining to the cinema.
The strength of Skeem is the ensemble cast and the tone. The cast has a good mix of well-rounded actors like the lead Wandile Molebatsi (some will remember him from TV ads and Rhythm City as Sam Sedibeng), stand-up comedians such as Kurt Schoonraad and real character actors like Terrence Bridget.
The cast have levels ,even the over-used Kenneth Nkosi shows some depth in this one. Wandile Molebatsi shows a lot of heart and is able to carry this movie on his shoulders. Terrence Bridget is able to take a cliche and still make it funny - the man has talent. The cast is on point. It's actually great to watch all this talent on screen - it's fun to watch the light tone for the first two thirds of the movie.
The only issue is, I felt the guys did not want to up the ante on the last act. There comes a point where the line is drawn but the script does not want to turn as dark as the story demands ala "Shallow Grave".
It's that negotiating of that thin line that zaps out the level of cathasis one could have had. Yet this does not make "Skeem'' a terrible movie nor a classic in my books but a somewhat good movie that one will forget in a day or two but it's fun to experience.