| Product: |
Tengers (DVD) |
| Date: |
31.01.08 (96 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Great story and the different look makes all the difference
Disadvantages: Claymation style will put people off.
Imagine visiting the streets of Johannesburg, a violent city where gun crime and carjacking is rife. A city where everyone knows someone who has had a weapon held to his or her head.
Once you know that then you know what this film Tengers is all about. The title Tengers comes from a term originated by the writer/director Michael Rix for people who live in Joburg. It comes from the name of the province it is in, Gauteng.
Knowing what the movie is all about you might just be expecting something along the lines of City of God, you would then be surprised to discover that Tengers is made in the style of Wallace and Gromit and other such Aardman productions with the sensibilities of Team America, if toned down a bit from that American puppet movie.
While you would imagine that this would dilute the storyline of the film and make it just too unrealistic it actually does the opposite. Perhaps because you are so accustomed of seeing blood and violence on film and the news it has a lot less of an impact on viewers these days.
Seeing these characters that, although they look completely different stylistically, remind you of Wallace and Gromit, involved in a more mature thoughtful storyline somehow brings home the violence more clearly than a hundred action films could ever do.
Tengers is the story of Rob, a guy from Joburg who never seems to have much luck. His best friend is the local police captain and they both have women they love from afar, never able to do more than admire them.
Rob would love to meet the glamorous blonde teller at his local bank while, Marius, the police captain likes his fellow officer WPC Nicki. They both have dull lives until the day Rob wins the lottery.
Coming into loads of money in a violent city is not the wonderful thing it is, if it gets out then life could become all the more dangerous than normal.
Tengers is full of great wit, humour and characterisation. The story and script are such that, like only the very best of none live acting films, you almost forget that it isn't real people you are watching. You cant do this completely but at times the story and characters are strong enough that is slips from your mind.
That is how much Tengers captivates you and pulls you into its world of Joburg street violence. The 'people' and the tale involves you and, while you can never forget that it is plasticine models and childs toys that make up the people and vehicles you don't really think about it. In the same way you Wallace & Gromit are so well realised you suspend disbelief the same is true with Tengers.
It took the creative force behind Tengers, Michael Rix, 9 years of his life to complete the film and the saddest thing about that is that the story it tells and the situations portrays are NOT outdated, or a thing of the past. It is a damning indictment of the world when such things as gun crime have become common enough that the law enforcement agencies expect it to be an everyday occurrence.
From a film point of view it is a shame that Rix's film will not get as many viewers as it deserves. Hopefully the DVD release of it... if and when it gets one... will rectify that, or maybe if it is really fortunate it will do well enough on the festival circuit that it may actually get a arthouse release around the world.
The humour in Tengers added to the social realism makes it a film worth watching. It may not be one that you will be at the top of your list but it possesses a story that makes it one that shouldn't just be bypassed because of the way it looks because you cannot always judge a book by its cover, or in this case a film by the way it is made!
Seen at Cambridge Film Festival 2007, the world premiere of the film.
Summary: A great animated movie with a serious message.
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