LFF 2014 - Hard To Get

Hailing from South Africa, director Zee Ntuli brings to life an enthralling tale of two very different strangers brought together after an encounter with the same problematic individual making a name for himself in a small town on the cusp of Johannesburg.

Channeling action thrillers of years gone past, as well as looking to stamp its own mark on the genre, Hard To Get is a combination of brute force, stylised action shots and an awareness of the classic relationships brought to life in the most extreme of circumstances.

TK (Pallance Tladla) is a gigolo whose way with women makes him one of the most charismatic and envied men in the local town. Finding it relatively easy to coax the local women into engaging in sexual relations with him, TK soon comes across a mysterious stranger in Skiets (Thishiwe Ziqubu), who isn't quite like the other women in the area.

With a certain dangerous vibe emanating from her, TK finds his latest challenge is more than he bargained for as the local hot-headed troublemaker forces them out of town and on the run, with further troubles and challenges meeting them when they reach the bigger, wider world of Johannesburg.

At the age of just 25, director Ntuli is clearly well versed in the action genre, his stylish presentation and distinct awareness of how to engage an audience a key indicator throughout his directorial debut. Immediately impacting with a relentless opening that throws both of our main characters in at the deep end, Ntuli rarely leaves time for a breather as we witness altercations, dubstep-infused slow-motion sequences and the constant threat of shady individuals heading into a crash course with TK and Skiets.

While action predominently features throughout, at the core of the proceedings lies a love story that is coaxed along by regular- and sometimes rather laughable - innuendos that sometimes hinder the evolution of these characters joined together. While these can often serve as a hinderance, the constant question mark over their relationship is certainly a draw, with certain events really adding doubt or instilling a faith in the pair as a unit. This irregular nature to their connection serves as a nice change and really helps the film to stand apart from the cliched nature of such films.

Utilising a location such as Johannesburg is evidently an advantage to Hard To Get also, with the neon advertisings set across hotel rooms adding that extra zest to the film, while the use of slow-motion often aids in hammering home the impact of the violence being portrayed between not only men, but also the harsh reality of men beating on women. Coupled with the sandy and grimy plains of the local town, the film helps to showcase a huge difference in lifestyle as the location whisks from lower class residency to the high and mighty.

The leading pair in Tladla and Ziqubu certainly make for a bankable duo, both combining to create their South African Bonnie and Clyde-esque story, with a brilliant question mark over who exactly is the dominant force in the partnership. This plays out as one of the film's strengths and lays out the comedic moments, while the simmering romance is hard to keep your eyes off, especially with the constant question mark over whether they will indeed confront their own feelings.

Hard To Get is certainly a thrill ride that is worthy of its relatively short runtime and rarely lets up in relentlessly blitzing you with a crazed combination of slow-motion dubstep sequences, powerful violence and a romantic element that never deters from the main plot. Director Zee Ntuli may only be 25 but it is clear he already has a grasp for great filmmaking and it's inevitable he will be around for some time yet.