Comments on: REVIEW: SKOONHEID

By: Morn Malan

Morn Malan — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I saw the film yesterday, and was simultaneously repulsed and engaged by it, just as one is by its main character. And Francois himself, one imagines, is both repulsed and engaged by this secret self he unsuccessfully suppresses. The movie itself is courageous, but I couldn’t agree more that it’s also made _for_ the courageous moviegoer
and not the fainthearted.

By: Jakes

Jakes — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If your'e looking for a swap-your-brain-for-popcorn movie, give this one a skip. If you up for something different that leaves an unusual aftertaste, go watch it.

I expected a coming out story after reading the plot on sterkinekor's website, yeah... not so fast... When I walked out of the cinema, I felt frustrated, there was no typical breakthrough where Francois comes out and all the loose ends get tied up by the end of the movie.

I told my mom initially to give this movie a miss. Mostly because it was such a hard movie to watch with very graphic and disturbing scenes. You cant help but feel sorry, disgusted and angry at the same time. The movie evokes many contradicting emotions, without resorting to disney like emotional blackmail.

But perhaps that is exactly why its a good movie. It doesn't fluff around the reality of Francois's life. It doesn't try to say there is a solution that makes everything all right. Instead, it catches you off-guard, pushes you out of your confort zone ans slaps you in the face with a reality that some men live with. 4 people walked out during Skoonheid, and that was before the rape scene.

Although not an easy movie to watch, I applaud the creators for having the balls to make something so daring. And that in Afrikaans, wow I say!

Im now thinking of telling to my mom to go watch it anyway, regardless of the very graphic and disturbing scenes. Its not everyday that something like this comes along.

By: Lidia Theron.

Lidia Theron. — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I also found the movie stunning. Apart from the fact that I thought Francois might be straight who partakes in homosexual doings, just because he is the oppressor and can humiliate any race of gay people, just because he CAN. But you've convinced me now, that he is gay with a deep routed desire to become who he should be. It was the two-tone shirts of Francois and some of his friends who made me think that they, or some of them, are not gay.

I've seen the movie in V&A Waterfront in Cape Town together with a friend, also the mother of a gay child. Some of the scenes were shocking but still very essential. There were no walk-outs, maybe the Capetonians are more open? Nevertheless i think it was money well spent.

By: Hah

Hah — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to james. What, SA fags shallow and ignorant? Surely you jest!

By: MarC

MarC — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to james. I mean exactly what I say James. The movie was boring with these 'blobs' of shocking scenes, there is no continuity. I am just here to voice my opinion. Opinions differ, there is nothing wrong with my imaginative abilities. If I think the guy is good looking then surely I'm allowed to say so ? What does this have to do with being 'politically engaged' and who says I am superficial, do you perhaps know me?

By: james

james — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It’s amazing that the comments, thus far, on this page are largely unenthusiastic. Then again, not so amazing. The resort ot the most superficial of responses – “made for good eye candy”- is the kind of thing that marks out “gay” S Africans as politically unengaged, and largely incapable of anything one might accurately call “thought.” How MarC can believe that the “shocking” scene “almost didn’t fit in with the rest of the movie” escapes me. Except, of course, that it seems that the imaginative effort required escaped him too.

By: Dhani

Dhani — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In reply to MarC. Marc, I couldn't agree more! As a movie it didn't impress me. The only 'highlight' was Christian as eye candy.

By: MarC

MarC — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I saw the movie over the weekend. One cannot help but to feel pity for the main character. I think that it was brutally honest and shocking. The ‘shocking’ scenes were too shocking, it almost didn’t fit in with the rest of the movie. Not too sure what the fuss is about though, I wont really describe it as a good movie. Christian made for good eye candy though

By: Dhani

Dhani — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Quite a disappointment as the movie was moving nowhere… I left the movie with a ‘So what?’ in my mind. ‘A month in the life of a closet married gay guy’ would perhaps have been a better title.

By: CVuOPsam

CVuOPsam — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This makes everything so copmlteely painless.