听 On the face of it the most surprising an pleasing thing about this South African road movie is what it isn't. There's not a 'township aflame with racial tension' or a 'continent ravaged by Aids' subplot in sight. Instead this presents a side of South African life that doesn't make the international news headlines, namely its young people, black and white, getting on with lives characterised by the kinds of things that vex twenty-somethings the world over, namely the stresses and pleasures of city-life, relationships going awry and bad stand-up comedy.
Oppikkoppi, a rock festival, is the destination for out three leads, stand-up comedians of various levels of talent: David (David Kibuuka) has problems with nerves; Kagi (Kagiso Legida) has problems not jumping on every passing woman despite having a girlfriend while Joey (Joey Raddien) wrestles with the contradictory impulses of his comedic ambition and his Muslim faith. When the trio aren't performing on stage, they're performing off it with some nicely witty dialogue that channels the actors obvious off screen friendship.
"PLEASANTLY LOOSE FEEL"
Shot in handheld black and white and partially improvised by a cast who are obviously essentially playing themselves, Bunny Chow has a pleasantly loose feel and the leads are all appealing. But its lack of ambition finally renders it all pleasing potential and no actual punch-lines; even Jo'Burg-based aspiring stand-up comedians might start to find it all a little dull. Then again it may well be one of the best movies named after a kind of overstuffed hot sandwich ever made, and that must count for something.
Bunny Chow is out in the UK on 21st March 2008.
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