RECONNECT
DIRECTOR: Marius Swanepoel
CAST: Scot Cooper, Randy Yav, Veronique Rabe, Shane Wellington, LJ Urbani, Anne Power, Paul Ditchfield, Arno Marais, Sean Redpath, Sung-Hoon Kim, Nthabiseng Mnisi, Marisca Kilian, Evan Hengst
CLASSIFICATION: PG
RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes
RATING: 2 stars (out of 5)
Theresa Smith
Looking for an unusual place to launch their video game, Eric (Cooper) suggests an abandoned warehouse to Jason (Yav), his partner in crime. This being an adventure story, they find a mysterious computer system still running in the warehouse and befriend the potentially amazing discovery, an artificial intelligence imprisoned in the system.
To give away more is just unfair, because you can already tell where this is going just from those two lines.
Press info about Reconnect emphasises that “this 100% Proudly South African film offers something new for the South African market, while showcasing South Africa’s film-making abilities (and special effects skills) to an international audience”.
How far this will reach an international audience is debatable, but kudos to the film-makers for keeping it 100% local. It certainly showcases South African skills, but not perhaps as the makers intended.
Technical matters evince a high degree of skill. The sets feature interesting-looking buildings and the set dressers clearly had fun – so score one for the crew’s resourcefulness. What the depiction of the AI lacks in originality or imagination it makes up for with a solid, workman-like presentation. So, too, the music isn’t going to give you the willies, and the storyline won’t scare or thrill you. The script lacks any element of surprise and the pace is pedestrian.
Eric and Jason apparently work for a super-duper computer company, but what exactly it is supposed to be is anyone’s guess. Problems get solved because the script dictates characters need to move on to the next scene, not because of logic or plot furtherance.
This is very much a South African trait – the script lacks a local context or tangible feel despite having been filmed around Joburg. Reconnect shows we can produce Hollywood conveyor belt material, complete with any accent you want. We can provide the bland template, now come put your spin on it.
If you liked Eternity (the local vampire movie) you will like this.