STONE COLD JANE AUSTEN
DIRECTOR: Jon Savage
CAST: Rob van Vuuren, Kurt Schoonraad and Jon Savage
CLASSIFICATION: 16 L
RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes
RATING: ***
JON SAVAGE cannot speak Afrikaans. Embrace that fact right from the beginning, because it turns this faux documentary into something fun and funny, especially when he sings.
Filmed as if this was a real documentary about a band called Stone Cold Jane Austen, this is really a sneaky portrait of the maturity of the Afrikaans rock scene. Because you totally believe that a real documentary could be made about something like this playing out.
Stone Cold Jane Austen’s frontman, Johnny (Savage), swears high and low that over the past 10 years Fokofpolisiekar have copied SCJA’s every move and song, and that Francois van Coke is nothing but a derivative hack. So, some intrepid filmmakers follow them around to investigate.
Kudos to all the musicians who pop up, from Chris Chameleon to Jack Parow and even Kurt Darren who lets himself get drawn into a ridiculous skit, so big up to him for playing along. Even some old footage like the guys from 340ml pops up, showing how long ago Savage started working on this.
Commentators like Catherine Grenfel and Randall Abrahams add a touch of straight-man reality, all the real-life musicians do, but it is Rob van Vuuren who really sells it.
He plays it straight as Karel, the band’s second member, while Savage hams it up as Johnny the lead singer and an unnamed drummer kind of lurks in the background.
Van Vuuren’s sincerity and understated performance makes of Karel a sweet nebbish who just really wants to be in a band and does everything in his power to support Johnny, whom he truly believes to be his best mate. Johnny, on the other hand, is the stereotypical narcissist who turns every situation to his advantage and you have to wonder how much of Savage (remember Cassette?) has gone into this vanity project.
On paper, this film should not work, but somehow it does, probably because of the music. Granted, about halfway through the filmmaker’s budget improved drastically and they forget about the mockumentary conceit which gives the first half a tongue-in-cheek surrealism. But, by this stage you are vested in whether Karel is going to get up the gumption to break free from his overbearing friend.
Kurt Schoonraad is also the only other one acting, playing a speed cop who is a huge SCJA fan, with an eye-bulging fanaticism that is slightly worrying.
It all culminates in Van Coke saving the day for real, and he totally comes across as the only grown-up in the whole affair.
Fans of Afrikaans rock music will like this – it doesn’t quite have the wtf? yet disappointing overblown feel of Footskating or Straight Outta Benoni, taking its source material of real music much more seriously.
At the same time, the two characters poke fun at musicians and their litany of complaints, while also highlighting the sheer joy of performance.
The inspired performance courtesy of Arno Carstens over the end-credits even turns what is up till then the worst Afrikaans rock song ever, into something intriguing, highlighting again the depth of the actual genre.
It could have been edited more tightly, but the music makes up for a lot.
If you liked Mooirivier, you won’t like this.
* Stone Cold Jane Austen is being shown at the Cannes Film Festival.