SPUD 3: LEARNING TO FLY
DIRECTOR: John Barker
CAST: John Cleese, Troye Sivan, Caspar Lee, Sven Ruygrok, Thomas Burne, Byron Langley, Travis Hornsby, Blessing Xaba, Genna Blaire, Aaron McIlroy, Julie Summers
CLASSIFICATION: 10 LD
RUNNING TIME: 89 minutes
RATING: ***
THIS THIRD film in the Spud series goes for a more straight comedy line, rather than the off-centre quirk of the first two movies. This is largely because of new director John Barker’s take on things.
For the most part it seems to work – at the media preview, the back row (populated by guys) chortled their way through the film.
While titular character, Spud Milton (Sivan), is still surrounded by eccentric characters, they have now become familiar ones, so expect less of the surreal and more of the ridiculous.
It is a boarding school film, so also count on high-jinks in the night time, fart jokes and teenagers bonding over mindblowing mistakes which seem like the end of the world. All of this through a thoroughly South African lens.
Highly evocative of the ’90s, the set designs are nostalgic, with little touches like magazine posters on the walls or the knick knacks littering Spud’s home. The score is anachronistic though, with some thoroughly modern tunes in the mix.
Spud’s deranged family is now expanded with the addition of an attention-starved Portuguese neighbour (yes, that was Sonia Esgueira playing Amber next door) and Dad’s alcoholic, job-seeking best friend looking for purpose in this world, Frank (Grant Swanby).
Back for a third year at boarding school, Spud also meets also Garlic the Malawian (Lee), the garrulous new kid who insinuates himself into the gang.
We see as much of Spud at school as we do at home, where Mom and Dad are on the outs.
Aaron McIlroy is a memorable mix of pathetically paranoid and brazen. He starts a new business venture, which might just work with a bit of timely intervention from Spud.
At school, Spud has to come up with a plan to hold on to his scholarship, which means excelling in some way, and he spends the school year trying to find something, anything, that will get him ahead.
This puts him at odds with his closest friends when Rambo (Ruygrok) decrees that none of them are going to try out for prefect. Especially since none of Spud’s plans seem to work.
His friendship with the Guv (Cleese) continues, as he tries to help his teacher start a relationship with the new librarian, in between experimenting with his own would-be romantic liaisons.
There is less tragedy this time around, even though Spud is scared he might not be able to stay at the school which has become more of a home than his parents’ house.
This is a satisfying third film for fans and a technically strong addition to the South African film scene.
If you liked Spud 1 or 2, you will like this.