How To Steal 2 Million is a stylishly-shot crime noir thriller set in Johannesburg.
Nicholas Hofmeyer’s cinematography creates a world of hard surfaces and leeched colours, a coldly grim environment that is recognisably Jozi to those who know it.
That’s not to detract from Charlie Vundla’s assured direction. It’s just that together they have created a really good local thriller.
The duo cut their teeth on straight-to-DVD Wishlist and Friends Like These, but nothing in those two sweet/passable pseudo rom-coms would prepare you for this slick offering.
The film follows newly-released from prison Jack (Ngubane) as he tries to go straight. But around here the assumption is once a crook, always a crook, and he quickly gives in to the inevitable.
His best frenemy Twala (Seiphemo) gives him a possible way to make some quick money, which is where the film’s title comes in, but the bad blood between them runs deep and crime noir thriller stylings say bad things have to happen.
The acting is solid – Ngubane is a smooth gangster with a cool car and an even cooler way about him. He hangs out in smokey jazz clubs where they play cool music (in addition, Trevor Jones’ score is lovely, delicate when it needs to be, heightening the mood when it needs to, never bombastic, or over bearing).
Seiphemo is a spoilt brat who doesn’t know how to deal with not having his way. John Kani is his stern, disassociated father, while Terry Pheto is an intriguing potential love interest and Hlubi Mboya gets to be the punching bag.
This crime caper moves fast and takes no prisoners and while the visual language is filmic, it’s also so totally, brilliantly South African.