One of the unheralded delights of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival was John Barker’s spirited musical heist comedy The Umbrella Men, which saw a group of friends set up an elaborate scheme to rob a corrupt bank and thereby save their beloved club from a scheming developer. Although that film ended joyfully, as the title of this film suggests, they didn’t get away with it as neatly and completely as they thought.
Back at Toronto for a second year, the original team now presents a scenario which sees heroes Jerome (Jacques De Silva) and Mortimer (Keenan Arrison) picked up by the police and locked up on a reopened Robben Island, haunting symbol of Cape Town’s past. Unwilling to take their chances on a judicial system which could take years to kick into gear, Jerome’s partner Keisha (Shamilla Miller) and loyal friend Mila (Bronté Snell) have to figure.
Back at Toronto for a second year, the original team now presents a scenario which sees heroes Jerome (Jacques De Silva) and Mortimer (Keenan Arrison) picked up by the police and locked up on a reopened Robben Island, haunting symbol of Cape Town’s past. Unwilling to take their chances on a judicial system which could take years to kick into gear, Jerome’s partner Keisha (Shamilla Miller) and loyal friend Mila (Bronté Snell) have to figure.
- 9/11/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Bronté Snell and Shamilla Miller in The Umbrella Men: Escape From Robben Island
At last year's Toronto International Film Festival, one of the highlights was lively South African musical comedy heist film The Umbrella Men, which featured a gang of amateurs led by reluctant musician Jerome (Jacques De Silva) who come up with an elaborate scheme to steal money from a corrupt bank and thereby save their beloved club. Equally lively were the interviews with director John Barkers and stars Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenan Arrison and Bronté Snell which followed, given that they had never expected to find themselves on the world stage. This year they're back in Toronto with a sequel, The Umbrella Men: Escape From Robben Island - which, as you can imagine, means that the seemingly perfect getaway in the first film turned out to have complications.
This time around, the female characters have moved to the fore,...
At last year's Toronto International Film Festival, one of the highlights was lively South African musical comedy heist film The Umbrella Men, which featured a gang of amateurs led by reluctant musician Jerome (Jacques De Silva) who come up with an elaborate scheme to steal money from a corrupt bank and thereby save their beloved club. Equally lively were the interviews with director John Barkers and stars Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenan Arrison and Bronté Snell which followed, given that they had never expected to find themselves on the world stage. This year they're back in Toronto with a sequel, The Umbrella Men: Escape From Robben Island - which, as you can imagine, means that the seemingly perfect getaway in the first film turned out to have complications.
This time around, the female characters have moved to the fore,...
- 9/10/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Daniel Sharman, Grace Van Dien, Keenan Arrison among cast.
The Exchange has acquired worldwide rights excluding Africa to Kelsey Egan’s sci-fi thriller The Fix and is launching talks here in Cannes.
Writer-director Egan’s second feature takes place after a toxic compound infects earth’s atmosphere and follows a troubled young model who takes an illicit new drug at a party and suffers a shocking transformation.
As she hunts for a ‘fix’ to reverse the drug’s effects the model learns that her mutation may be the key to saving the human race.
Daniel Sharman (Fear The Walking Dead...
The Exchange has acquired worldwide rights excluding Africa to Kelsey Egan’s sci-fi thriller The Fix and is launching talks here in Cannes.
Writer-director Egan’s second feature takes place after a toxic compound infects earth’s atmosphere and follows a troubled young model who takes an illicit new drug at a party and suffers a shocking transformation.
As she hunts for a ‘fix’ to reverse the drug’s effects the model learns that her mutation may be the key to saving the human race.
Daniel Sharman (Fear The Walking Dead...
- 5/15/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Jaques De Silva in The Umbrella Men
John Barker's music-filled heist comedy thriller The Umbrella Men was one of the most entertaining film s to screen at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, and if you've read the first part of my interview with director John Bsrker and stars Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenan Arrison and Bronté Snell, you'll have noticed that it seems like it was just as much fun to make. In the second half of our conversation, we discussed favourite moments, the importance of getting the chemistry right, and the excitement of hitting the festival circuit.
I mention a line in the film about the importance of not basing a heist on what you’ve seen in recent films.
“Yeah, I mean, we had to use that,” says John. “And also, because the heist is such a popular genre and there are so many films,...
John Barker's music-filled heist comedy thriller The Umbrella Men was one of the most entertaining film s to screen at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, and if you've read the first part of my interview with director John Bsrker and stars Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenan Arrison and Bronté Snell, you'll have noticed that it seems like it was just as much fun to make. In the second half of our conversation, we discussed favourite moments, the importance of getting the chemistry right, and the excitement of hitting the festival circuit.
I mention a line in the film about the importance of not basing a heist on what you’ve seen in recent films.
“Yeah, I mean, we had to use that,” says John. “And also, because the heist is such a popular genre and there are so many films,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Bronté Snell, Rob van Vuuren, Joey Rasdien, Jaques De Silva and Keenan Arrison in The Umbrella Men
One of the most enjoyable heist movies to reach the screen in recent years, Toronto International Film Festival hit The Umbrella Men follows a group of musicians who decide to rob a bank in order to save their beloved nightclub and community hub, covering up the activities, covering up their activities with Capetown’s annual Minstrel Carnival. It’s a wildly entertaining ride, and very much in keeping with the character of the team behind it, director John Barker and lead actors Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenean Arrison and Bronté Snell, all of whom were in high spirits when we got together for an interview, despite a long day packed with promotional work. John kicked off the discussion, talking about how the project began.
“I've made a slice of life film and it did really well,...
One of the most enjoyable heist movies to reach the screen in recent years, Toronto International Film Festival hit The Umbrella Men follows a group of musicians who decide to rob a bank in order to save their beloved nightclub and community hub, covering up the activities, covering up their activities with Capetown’s annual Minstrel Carnival. It’s a wildly entertaining ride, and very much in keeping with the character of the team behind it, director John Barker and lead actors Jaques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, Keenean Arrison and Bronté Snell, all of whom were in high spirits when we got together for an interview, despite a long day packed with promotional work. John kicked off the discussion, talking about how the project began.
“I've made a slice of life film and it did really well,...
- 9/18/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Accident is the first feature from director Dan Tondowski. Shot in South Africa, the film involves the theft of a car and a foursome's attempt to get a way from the scene of the crime. But, this is one victim who wants his property back, no matter the costs. Accident stars: Stephanie Schildknecht (Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell), Roxane Hayward (Death Race: Inferno), Tyrone Keogh and Keenan Arrison. This title was released in 2017, within South Africa. Accident has various, other, upcoming release dates for the Us and UK. A preview of the film's latest showings are available here. The official synopsis tells more of the film's story. The friend's car is stuck at the bottom of a ravine. After the accident, the vehicle has been rolled over, leaving two people trapped inside. When the owner of the car turns up, events take a sharp turn towards attempted murder. But,...
- 3/20/2019
- by noreply@blogger.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Accident, the first feature-length film from writer/director Dan Tondowski, debuts on Blu-ray March 19 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Tondowski brings together an up-and-coming young cast, including Stephanie Shield (Death Race 2), Roxane Hayward (Death Race: Inferno), Tyrone Keogh (Starship Troopers 3: Marauder) and Keenan Arrison (upcoming: Tomb Raider) for this edge-of-your-seat thriller about a group of teenagers trapped at the bottom of a ravine with a psycho out to kill them.
When a foursome “borrows” a car for one night of fun, what starts as a wild joy ride turns into a nightmare. After a violent crash, they discover that being stuck at the bottom of a ravine in an overturned car is the least of their problems. The psychotic owner of the car that they stole has them in his crosshairs and will stop at nothing to get both the car and its contents back.
Country of Origin: South...
When a foursome “borrows” a car for one night of fun, what starts as a wild joy ride turns into a nightmare. After a violent crash, they discover that being stuck at the bottom of a ravine in an overturned car is the least of their problems. The psychotic owner of the car that they stole has them in his crosshairs and will stop at nothing to get both the car and its contents back.
Country of Origin: South...
- 3/9/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Billed as a documentary drama, the South-African set film A Lucky Man deals with the identity and morality issues of Earnie "Lastig" Solomon, who grew up notoriously as an outcast in Cape Town. Helmed by Gordon Clark, who has mostly directed commercials of leading brands in South Africa, the film stars Levi du Plooy, Jarrid Geduld, Keenan Arrison. Here's more about the film: “A Lucky Man” is a morality story in which the perplexing issues of identity and morality are played out in the life of a man literally living on the edge. Born into a family where he is an outsider and growing up in a city and...
- 2/1/2013
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
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