When it comes to South African romantic comedies, it is safe to say that film-makers have got the genre down to an art form.
Recent offerings like “Smart Casuals”, “A Soweto Love Story”, “Love Lives Here”, “Seriously Single” and “Semi-Soet” stand as a testament to the achievement. And Netflix’s “Lobola Man” joins the bandwagon of hits.
With it coming from the Burnt Onion Productions stable, viewers' expectations of a delightful romcom aren’t dashed.
After all, the production house has proved its Midas touch with “Miseducation”, “How to Ruin Love” and “How to Ruin Christmas”. And don’t forget about “Happiness Is A Four-Letter Word” and “Happiness Ever After”.
Lawrence Maleka bounces back from his two-year sabbatical with aplomb in “Lobola Man”. He is cast as Ace Ngubeni, a suave, silver-tongued lobola negotiator.
Think of him as Mzansi’s response to Will Smith in “Hitch”.
For a small fortune, he will negate the challenges standing in the way of a guy getting his happily ever. After all, such negotiations require a certain level of finesse, charm and, where he is concerned, artfulness.
And he has an unblemished track record to prove it.
Little does he realise how his life is about to change when he takes on a new client, Duke Maseko (Sandile Mahlangu).
Let’s just say, Cupid’s arrow wreaks havoc for both of them where Duke’s girlfriend, Zandile (Kwanele Mthethwa), is concerned.
Despite being well-heeled. Duke’s desire to marry the love of his life hits a few snags. He worries that his dysfunctional family will ruin his chances of tying the knot. More so, as her father, Mr Zungu (Nimrod Nkosi), isn’t Duke’s biggest fan.
To say Ace has his work cut out for him, is an understatement. More so, when looking at the motley crew he assembles to play Duke’s family.
It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion as Uncle Long John (Obed Baloyi), Bra Biza (Sello Ramalahloane) and Aunt Miriam (Thembsie Matu) put their foot in it the entire time.
True to form with their storytelling, “Lobola Man” is a slice-of-life offering, unpacking the cultural pressure in relationships while exploring what love truly means.
There is much introspection in the latter part of the movie, which looks at how the sins of his father weigh on the Ace, who has been commitment-phobic his entire life.
Director Thabang Moleya does a commendable job of underpinning the drama with comedy. Overall, it’s a well-cast and entertaining film.