Wah-Wah (2005) User Reviews

Growing up in Camelot

[Philby-3 · 8/10 · 25 June 2006]

Richard E Grant's "autobiopic" is an illustration of Tolstoy's adage that while happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Grant's childhood in Swaziland as the son of a top colonial administrator (in education) could have been idyllic, but the idyll was shattered by his mother's infidelity and eventual desertion of the family and his father's severe alcoholism. Yet Grant could not stop loving either of them, and in the movie he seems to be saying, "yes, it hurt at the time, but I understand – and forgive." So despite the trauma, Grant gives us a fair account of his parents, lightly disguised as the Comptons, of their love for each other and their love for him.

The second striking feature of the movie is the portrait of a small but immensely snobbish colonial society that was about to disappear. Appearances are everything so clandestine adultery is condoned but divorce very much disapproved of. Outsiders (for example Harry Compton's new American wife Ruby) are scarcely tolerated. This stern moral code was hardly needed to impress the natives, who were polygamous. The choice of "Camelot" as the entertainment put on by the denizens of the white social club for the Independence celebrations is ironically appropriate – for some of the whites it was indeed Camelot, and now it was about to end.

Another theme of Grant's is growing up, generally a painful experience with or without dysfunctional parents. Here he is greatly helped by a fine performance from Nicholas Hoult as the 14 year old Richard ("Ralph" in the film). Miranda Richardson as the errant mother and Gabriel Byrnes as the father are also excellent and there are strong performances from the supporting cast, particularly Julie Walters as a deserted wife and Celia Imrie as the impossibly snobbish High Commissioner's wife. I'm not sure why, but Emily Watson's Ruby was only so-so. The people of Swaziland don't get much of a look-in – this is white mischief after all, but the actor who plays the warm-hearted local doctor (John Matshikiza?) should get an honorable mention.

Since independence Swaziland has not done too well; according to Wikipedia it now has 39% of the adult population with HIV and the world's lowest life expectancy -32.6 years. The combined rule of the present king and "Great She-Elephant" (his mother) has not been a conspicuous success. The colonial days, which took the light form of a British Protectorate, must seem like Camelot even to the Swazis. This movie seems to have captured the atmosphere of the time as well as the pains of growing up.

Delightful, funny and very, very moving

[danieljc · 8/10 · 17 August 2005]

Richard E. Grant's mostly autobiographical film tells the story of a boy growing up in Swaziland amidst the end of British colonisation, his parents' harrowing divorce and his father's destructive alcoholism.

Before the film I was promised it would make me cry, laugh and be totally delighted with what I saw.

The tears come from some very moving moments between Ralph (Nicholas Hoult) and his father as they try to maintain a relationship despite his father's drinking problems, depicted by a very frightening and convincing Gabriel Byrne. Ralph's struggle to accept his father's new wife, played by Emily Watson, also gives us a good dose of emotional moments, of which this film is certainly not short!

The laughter comes mostly from some moments of brilliantly over-the-top British snobbery and Emily Watson's spot-on mockery of it. Incidentally, this is what gives the film its title - "Wah-Wah" being her imitation of upper class speech.

And the delightfulness comes from everything about the film - a sentimental and touching story set amongst beautiful scenery, with a lovely score and stunning performances from all the cast. Having spent 5 years on this film, it is clearly very personal to Grant and it seems all that time was worth it. The promise was fulfilled - delight, laughter and tears.

a moving and delightful piece of work

[bshyman · 8/10 · 23 May 2006]

Forget the sniping review on this site. This is a labour of love and is the true story of a young boy growing up in end-of-the-colonial-era Swaziland. His loving but alcoholic father, his faithless mother and the various other upper crust Brits are bang on the button. The film was made in a very short time, came in under budget and gives us some delightful performances. Both the boys, Zac Fox and Nick Holt, are excellent. Gabriel Byrne, Emily Watson, Celia Imrie and National Treasure Julie Walters are great. The story is told economically in just 90 or so minutes. The scenery is beautiful. What a pleasant change from over praised short-arse Hollywood 'icons' running away from explosions. Forget MI3.Go see this. Then read Richard's book 'The Wah-wah diaries.'

Well-paced ensemble multi-layered but 'old-fashioned' movie

[cliffhanley_ · 12 June 2006]

It was fairly brave of Richard E Grant to 'come out' as a director when acting would be such a secure option for him; particularly now as the role of director, especially of relatively small independent films such as this, involves all the hustling traditionally taken care of by the producer. Although he has been low-profile as an actor for some time, paying the rent by sticking to supporting roles ( lots of them, though), at the same time he has been fighting to get this semi-autobiographical saga up to the screen. A look at a disintegrating family could be set anywhere, but this is specific to Swaziland, where the collapse of the British Empire and the end of Deference mirror the uncertainties of young Ralph Compton's life. As a little boy (Zachary Fox) he finds himself in the back seat while his mother has it off with her husband's best friend; then as an adolescent rebel (Nicholas Hoult of 'About a Boy') he has to cope with mum's desertion and dad's alcoholism while discovering 'A Clockwork Orange' and experimenting with becoming a droog. There are so many concurrent plots that every time you think, Ah, so it's that kind of film, the layers shift again. Coming-of-age, end-of-empire, adults being stupid and cruel, the class system and white supremacy turning sclerotic; these elements weave and thrust against the African landscape and inbred British colonialism. This is the world that the kids will inherit. Celia Imrie and Fenella Woolgar are a joy to watch as they 'do' the snooty dames with such natural outraged dignity, but the surprise is to see the so-English Emily Watson make such a convincing low-class Manhattanite. The old ways are going out the window, serenaded as they go by the kind of lush, romantic soundtrack that also had had its time, and adds another taste of verisimilitude. Comparisons are useful, not odious, and it's fair to relate this kind of breathless well-paced ensemble production to Altman. One last touch of the Old Ways: it stops when it gets to the ... CLIFF HANLEY

This is being marketed incorrectly in America

[asc85 · 7/10 · 7 May 2006]

The film hasn't been released yet in America, but I did see a preview earlier today in a film series that I go to. Anyway, to position this movie as a warm family comedy is COMPLETELY missing the point of this film. While it may have a few comedic parts it is most definitely NOT a comedy! And the first half of the film is actually pretty sad, with Dad being a drunk, Mom walking out, etc., etc. I found the last half of the film to be a little bit more upbeat and hopeful, and I have to say that I really liked this movie, and it will be a shame that many people who also might like it will never bother to see it, as the marketing of it is completely wrong.

Emily Watson just about steals every scene she's in, and it was interesting that they hired her to affect an American accent, when there are certainly many, many American actresses who could have played this part.

I was trying to figure out where I had seen Nicolas Hoult before. He plays Ralph, the character based on the Director's life. After clicking on his name on IMDb, I realized that I had seen him in "About A Boy." He's physically changed quite a bit in the few years between films, and does a very good job.

Seattle International Film Festival - David Jeffers for SIFFblog.com

[rdjeffers · 6/10 · 12 May 2006]

Friday May 26, 4:30pm The Egyptian

Sunday May 28, 6:30pm Pacific Place

Set in 1969 as Swaziland is about to gain independence from Britain, Wah-Wah is the childhood memoir of actor, writer and director Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I, Gosford Park). Twelve-year-old Ralphie is the son of Harry (Gabriel Byrne) and Lauren Compton (Miranda Richardson), members of a boozing and adulterous colonial society. When their marriage fails and Lauren leaves, Harry succumbs to alcoholism and sends his son to boarding school. When he returns two years later, Ralph (Nicholas Hoult) discovers his Dad has married Ruby (Emily Watson) an American ex-airline hostess who has taken to the snooty locals like oil to water. Grant's recounting of this shallow, racist culture is handled with sensitivity and the insight of someone who lived through it. Excellent casting, moving performances and gorgeous cinematography do little however to relieve the impression of too much material compressed into the running time of this complex social drama.

Wah Wah and Hush Hush

[alanhaworth-1 · 9/10 · 7 July 2006]

The most striking aspect of this film is the sheer honesty of the whole thing. Certainly this must have been a heart wrenching assignment for Richard E. Grant. To showcase one's own life through the most traumatic of circumstances, is both noble and humbling. The moral double standards of Colonial Britain at it worst, coupled with what must be emotional scars etched into Richard's soul, produce a film of compelling proportions. The back drop of a breath-taking Swaziland landscape, is almost missed as the emotions sweep you away into a numbing sensation, constantly reminding you this is FACT not fiction. Adolescence for most is traumatic enough without the aid of a dysfunctional family at a time when this just "wouldn't do", and the worst anyone could be was a "divorcee". The portrayal of relationships with his parents, step-mother, and all his "uncles" and "aunts" is complex and exhausting for the viewer. There are raw and frank accounts of Richard's personal "demons", and how he attempted to overcome these during these difficult years of his life. The film showcases some wonderful acting. In particular, Gabriel Byrne as the father, Nicholas Hoult as 14 year old Richard, Julie Walters as Aunt Gwen, Emily Watson as the step-mother, and Celia Imrie as Lady Hardwick. All are exceptional in their roles. Rather than "hush hush" Richard has literally blown the whistle on British "properness"! Make it a short-listed film to see, you will not be disappointed.

If conventional as a drama, it's finely made, and really quite enjoyable

[secondtake · 7/10 · 22 June 2010]

Wah-Wah (2005)

It may seem like this story of a dysfunctional family is familiar, and just setting it in a new location (Swaziland, 1969) will perk it up. And that's partly true, both halves. It really is a television soap opera, and it really is interesting for its setting and subtle political backdrop.

But it's so decently made, with sterling performances across the line, you can't help but give it a chance. Even when you think, oh no, not this, you will also think, ah, nicely done. Very moving. And funny. And beautiful.

And that, oddly, is everything, which says something. The cast is easily read elsewhere (Gabriel Byrne and Emily Watson stand out for me). The director is a completely new name to me, Richard E. Grant, and it turns out he only has 84 movies to his credit--as an actor (including Henry and June and Dracula). This is his only role as director, and it should have encouraged him. With a more original script (which it must be confessed he also wrote), this would have made the sterling performances and great overall production rise to another level.

As it is, a completely absorbing movie, being what it is, and for those who appreciate this kind of sometimes funny, sometimes moving melodrama.

Truly fantastic movie: brilliant pacing, excellent performances, quality cast.

[wangop · 10/10 · 18 August 2005]

Truly fantastic movie. I went to the world premiere last night at Edinburgh Film Festival and was blown away. As much as I like Richard E. Grant, I must confess that I was expecting a rather indulgent art-house auto-biopic. Instead, what we got was a brilliant, superbly paced, wonderfully entertaining feature film that held the audience to the last scene. The first 10 minutes are a little slow, but from then on Grant never puts a foot wrong.

"Wah-Wah" has the right blend of comic situations, gritty family conflict, stunning African scenery and caricatures of latter-day British imperial pretensions to entertain, engage and amaze.

Nicholas Hoult shows that the intensity and charisma evidenced in "About A Boy" were no childhood fluke, while Gabriel Byrne brings a perfect mix of menace and charm to encapsulate the contradictions of Grant's father figure. Special kudos goes to Emily Watson, whose on-screen presence is radiant and lively, rather akin to Rachel Griffiths in "Six Feet Under".

With an assured debut like this, Grant should soon be able to give up those wretched Argos ads for good!

Watchable portrait of end-of-Empire Swaziland

[yogingm · 6/10 · 5 June 2006]

"Wah-Wah" is worth watching because it paints an intriguing portrait of the British Empire's final days in Swaziland and the acting is very good throughout. The story is supposedly based on Richard E. Grant's bizarre childhood and is at times shocking, such as when his alcoholic father tries to shoot him for no apparent reason. However, while there are lots of interesting little anecdotes from Mr. Grant's youth, the story as a whole is not very well tied together. For example, at one point Ralph's mother is locked out of the house, and it appeared that this was her being finally rejected by both Ralph and his father. However, a few scenes later she pops in again, and it's not clear how they reached this state of affairs. A second example comes at the end of the film. While the two young ladies I watched the film with cried at the end when the father tells Ralph that he never stopped loving his mother, I didn't feel particularly touched. In fact I didn't even understand the comment. At no other point does the movie ever convincingly suggest that Ralph's father was so enamoured with his first wife, and the film never shows anything even remotely appealing about her character.

Wha Wha - Why? Why?

[reeledinburgh · 4/10 · 23 August 2005]

Wha Wha is Richard E Grant's Directorial debut. A self penned, autobiographical piece about growing up in Swaziland at the time of independence and frankly a bit of a let down. Despite a stellar cast the film never really moves beyond the usual character traits of the British upper classes - alcohol, sex, racism and stiff upper lips and if both dull and predictable. I was left thinking, OK I get it your dad's a drunk, your mums a bitch and your eyebrows are a bit freaky but it hasn't really held you back.

The cast are excellent and the direction,cinematography and score beautiful, it is just that when you get beyond the sympathy that the autobiographical element endears you are left with another portrait of upper class Brits in the colonies.

Loved it

[nottyk · 10/10 · 31 May 2006]

I thought the movie was absolutely excellent. I saw it tonight and it held a very special place in my heart because i'm Swazi and I knew all about what was happening and Grant's family. I thought it was a very accurate portrayal of Swazis and Swazi culture. It was beautifully done because it was just a boy's view of the world around him. He didn't politicize the era, and he allowed the viewer to make his or her own judgments without trying to steer the audience. It was beautifully done. The settings and the scenes were structured beautifully and I felt as if I was in Swaziland. I realize how biased I am and I went to see the film with an American friend and we both appreciated Richard E. Grant's style. It is very obvious that he put a lot into this film and the result is captivating. I cried and I thought it was because i had a personal connection to the film but when the lights went up I noticed that I wasn't the only one shedding tears. I highly recommend this film to people who want to go on a journey. I just loved it!

So Much for "Wah-Wah"

[nycritic · 6/10 · 4 March 2007]

Richard E. Grant's life must have been spectacularly insular, because there are hardly any moments when a country's native African population get any valuable screen time. Hell, GONE WITH THE WIND had three supporting characters, all black, sharing equal screen time with the film's white stars (even if this sentence sounds wildly inappropriate, there is really no other way to say it, and anyway, I am right.). In more than one instance, they also practically walked off with the scene they were in, and Butterfly McQueen's line "I ain't no nuthin' 'about birthin' babies!!" has gone into cinema history as one of the most popular quotes of the movie alongside "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." I could even go into my own life living it in Dominican Republic, a country with a seventy-five percent mulatto population. While I went to an American-Canadian school, my life wasn't that insulated to the political unrest that was the order of the day. If I would have to ever write anything about life in the Dominican Republic from 1979 - 1996 I would and could not exclude an entire population in lieu of creating a pretty soap opera about familial divorce... which is exactly what WAH-WAH turns out to be for its entire run. Not that this is a bad thing, but aside from this glaring discrepancy, there isn't much else going for a story that tries to have depth, tries to focus on the fall of an empire, and succeeds in doing neither.

Wha--?

[jayhawk-18 · 4/10 · 5 May 2006]

Richard E Grant cashes in some favours and assembles a top-notch cast of luvvies. Julie Walters, Emily Watson, Celia Imrie and Miranda Richardson were all very strong in their roles (although Miranda occasionally reminded me too much of the stressed mum she played in an episode of AbFab).

Unfortunately the male cast members were nowhere near as good (I was SO glad when the younger Ralphie was sent packing). I also found the family drama element to be poorly written, especially at the beginning, which was almost unwatchable.

At points the script and camera were amateurish and unoriginal. There was far too much use of cloying music as a counterpoint to the tiresome proceedings (Dad slams door, boy flinches and strings swell, etc). Most of the time you have no clue why these people are in the relationships they are in, especially Ruby and the girl Ralphie has a crush on.

Perhaps it was a reflection on colonial perceptions at the time, but aside from the singing gardener and the local doctor all the Africans do nothing but smile or run around with spears.

The colonial bickering and the preparations for the royal visit were far more entertaining. If only this had been an ensemble piece looking at the lives of the colonials in the dying days of the Empire, with none of the dreary family squabbles!

An immersive coming-of-age film, with excellent performances.

[rick_7 · 11 June 2010]

Wah-Wah (Richard E. Grant, 2005) is a delightful film about writer-director Grant's childhood during the final throes of colonial Swaziland. Balancing fraughtness - as his alter-ego's mother (Miranda Richardon) leaves and his father (Gabriel Byrne) descends into alcoholism - with superbly judged comic passages, it transports the viewer into the head of the young protagonist, perfectly articulating his feelings without the need for speechifying or voice-over. Such a feat is testament to the economy and precision of the script, Grant's subtle but expressive direction and Nicholas Hoult's excellent performance as the 14-year-old Ralph Compton. That Hoult can hold his own against Emily Watson, the most gifted dramatic performer of her generation, is as high praise as I can think of. Watson is ideal, as ever, playing the boy's ballsy American step-mum, who's threatening to turn high society on its ear if she can stand the scotch-swilling company long enough. The film does suffer from a dearth of geographic context in the mid-section and has some structural problems in the second half that seem to saddle it with several false endings, but it's clever, subtle and formidably unsentimental, with superb acting across the board. Its more painful exchanges have the unmistakable ring of truth and grim memory, and there's a great set of scenes in which Hoult sees A Clockwork Orange and starts idly apeing McDowell's eyeliner-wearing sociopath. I really liked it.

Boring but likable

[alex239-545-53158 · 7/10 · 26 March 2014]

The script for this is awful; it probably wouldn't have seen the light of day if Richard E Grant hadn't written it. Every line is obvious, a few make you cringe, and basically a creative writing undergraduate could have written similar tosh.

I liked the film quite a lot, though. Nicholas Hoult is one of my favourite young actors, and puts in a solid performance, looking convincing in the unusual and enjoyable movie setting of Africa post-empire – the first film ever shot in Swaziland, reportedly. Grant is a legend too, and his directing is better than his writing. He frames a believable portrait of a sleepy, dull, dying outpost, without romanticizing or condemning it, resisting the endless shots of wild savannah soundtracked by tribal drum featuring 'world music' that generally plague anything set in Africa. It is to his credit that the feature never lapses into cliché and laziness. The colourful costumes add to the feel of it.

Still, despite my positive expectations it is a shame to say that the film isn't any better than average. The plot, insomuch as there is one, couldn't be described as compelling or even interesting. The flaws in the script have already been detailed, and the acting on the whole is just passable. Really, this feels like an episode of Wild Of Heart rather than a high end film with some big names, and so it only really works as mindless wallpaper to pass a dull afternoon.

Saw premier of Wah-Wah at Edinburgh

[annie_hutchison · 10/10 · 19 August 2005]

Saw Wah-Wah at the Edinburgh International Film Festival – this is a really wonderful film. The story is told from the point of view of Ralph, a child witnessing the breakdown of his parent's marriage and dealing with his father's alcoholism and hasty remarriage. Both the colonial life and the adult relationships are seen, unflatteringly, from Ralph's perspective, and this could easily have been just another caricature of colonial decadence and the end of empire. In fact, despite the sombre story, it has humour and warmth as well as emotional impact. It also looks stunning: it is hard to believe this is Richard Grant's first film. All the cast give strong performances, even if most of them are hardly playing against type: Celia Imry could probably do the "upper-class bitch" and Julie Walters the "blowsy but good-hearted neighbour" in their sleep: but the core relationship between Ralph and his father Harry, played by Gabriel Byrne, is just electrifying. Byrne is totally convincing as the dedicated colonial administrator whose unresolved feelings for his first wife and fears for his future after independence drive him to alcoholism and nearly wreck his second marriage (to the also excellent Emily Watson). According to the press the film has yet to find a distributor: let's hope it is quickly picked up – this is ten times better than any of this summer's blockbusters, and deserves to be seen.

A most excellent film that has jumped to the top of my list!

[AncientMagnolia · 10/10 · 8 July 2006]

Wah-Wah is a beautiful film! One that i saw just yesterday and have had in my head since and wanted it to stay in there. I have recommended it to everyone i have seen since then, and still find myself commenting on it most randomly.

Wah-Wah is a sad film, and i believe i have cried more tears in this movie more than any other. I had tears running down my neck. I am not generally fond of sad movies but i found this one so different! Besides it is not all sad, I was also even crying with happiness. And laughing too! The only thing that i am disappointed about is that Wah-Wah is not being shown at every cinema, and only very few. I live in Victoria, Aust. And suggest you check out the capital city of your state to see it. I found it definitely worth while! But what i thought was rather curious was that EVERYONE stayed in there seats until the whole of the credits had been run and the curtains starting to close. There was not particularly anything interesting with the actual credits, but it felt appropriate! Richard E. Grant has been one of my two favorite actors for a long time! And this movie he has written and produced, about his life, just adds to my admiration of him. A job well done indeed, and WELL worth seeing!

God. Please end.

[paul-mcsherry-1 · 2/10 · 7 June 2006]

This is a frustratingly awful film. I had high hopes but instead got an unoriginal story, told through a bland kid, with phoned-in performances from all the major cast (Miranda Richardson aside, although she didn't have to push herself), with dialogue that was stilted and cringe-inducing. Plus we just seemed to be going around in circles throughout. This film didn't have an original bone in it's body. It should be stuck on the Hallmark channel where I can ignore it. What a shame.

The cinematography never inspired. With a canvas like Swasiland I expected a lot more of the cinematographer. An occasional vista shot even. But we got very few. Except for the dreadful pan back for a last shot that contained 2 characters who no body could give a damn about.

This film has a strong cast, but Gabriel Byrne is going through some sort of acting crisis, and this performance won't help. Emily Watson is unrecognisable from her excellent turns in films like Punch Drunk Love. The rest of the cast struggle with brutal dialogue and simplistic colonial stereotypes; which gives rise to some of the most toe-curling dialogue.

Richard E. Grant deserves a lot of respect for films he's been in and performances he's given, but he needs to step away from this needless shlocky sentimentalism and "Oh-look-how-brave-I-was" claptrap.

It's just that good

[rjackson7 · 10/10 · 23 July 2006]

This is the kind of movie I desperately hope for when I go to the cinema: A great story with great acting - everything else is window dressing. The British withdrawal from Swaziland forms a quite distant backdrop for this family melodrama. Absolute powerhouse performances from Gabriel Byrne (as an alcoholic divorcée) and Emily Watson (as an out of place American) join a watershed performance form the young Nicholas Hoult (from About a Boy), whose transformation from young boy to young man was one of the most compelling and convincing I have ever seen. The plot moves very rapidly through an endless cycle of unhappiness, family breakdown, drunkenness - and yet somehow, in the midst of this relentless pace, we feel for every character, and experience every emotion.

This directorial debut goes so many places - staging a musical, many puppet shows, exploring the clash of three cultures, the ugly face of racism, a boy's coming of age - and yet the central narrative of a boy trying to find grounding in the midst of a tumultuous family life is brilliantly conceived, and always at the forefront. The auburn palette of the film is accentuated by over-exposed shots and intimate camera angles; this movie brings a small, insular circle of families to life, and while it makes no pretension to explore African culture (this itself is pointed, since the Brits were so racist), it explores the crisis of the modern family as well as cinema can possibly hope to.

The tragic, show stopping revelation at the end concerning Byrne's character demands the whole movie be re-watched; it is an epiphany for Hoult, and it just may leave you thinking for a long time to come: What is the essence of a family? If love isn't enough, what is? There is a scene in the middle of the film where Hoult is transposed with Malclom McDowell's character from A Clockwork Orange. By the end of the movie I had my mind made up: Yes, Wah Wah can indeed stand proudly alongside the great films of cinema history, it's just that good.

What am I supposed to do with this film?

[tclark-5 · 1/10 · 30 June 2006]

With a cast like this, I wondered how Richard E. Grant could possibly go wrong. But dare I say that in directing his own life story he has been unable to transform his reality into a story that has some appeal for anyone other than himself. This is self-aggrandising film-making at its worst. How are we supposed to care about a bunch of childish, adulterous, slave-driving colonials? I ended up feeling much more sympathy for Regina, the family's African maid, and she doesn't even have any lines!

It's hopelessly melodramatic. So much door-slamming and so many jarring outbursts. Whenever Grant seems to want to inject some high drama, he simply arranges for one of the key relationships in the film to dissolve - and it seems to happen every three or four minutes: break-up after break-up.

Nothing is understated at all. Yes, Richard, these things may have REALLY happened, but you haven't been able to make them convincing or meaningful on the big screen. You can't even make us care for the characters played by such wonderful actresses. How does a character played by the sublime Miranda Richardson manage to come off as completely one-dimensional and unsympathetic? Emily Watson is probably the best working actress in the world but she's so far above this material that her presence only serves to remind viewers that this could have been a good film. And were we supposed to care when Ralph's father dies? What did he ever do for anyone? To me he only seemed to be the bane of Ralph's existence.

I guess a large part of the problem lies in the fact that the characters seem not to have any psychology, other than the most surface motivations. Ralph, being the main character, is particularly empty, despite Nicholas Hoult's best efforts. Yes he has a facial tic when he's tense, but what's driving him? Is it that he wants to be a Droog? I don't think so.

The troubles that hampered the production of this film are written all over the screen. Patrick Doyle has written a beautiful score, but it doesn't seem to have been written for this movie. And far too often the editor relies on fades to black to generate emotional tension - and it doesn't work. The camera work is equally ambiguous. What does that last shot leave us with other than a sense of how pretty the countryside is?

What really brings the film down, however, is the fact that Richard E. Grant doesn't seem to know what he wants to say with this film. Why did he want to make the film, other than as a tribute to himself? Yes, it's a coming-of-age story. Yes, it's about the English in Swaziland. But what does it all ultimately mean? To me, I'm afraid, Ruby's description of English toff-talk as 'wah-wah' seems to be a fitting description of the film as a whole: appearing important on the surface, but ultimately meaningless.

so beautiful

[bulgarianmaria · 10/10 · 4 May 2006]

i saw this tonight at the tribeca film festival. a truly rewarding exploration of the director's childhood, with honest yet loving depictions of his parents. grant has avoided the expected African clichés — safaris, tribal dances, national geographic wonders — and has chosen instead a very personal viewpoint of colonial Africa. that originality is part of the film's beauty. the other ingredients: strong characters, in the hands of byrne and watson especially, that are humane and varied. the plot is dramatic, yet i left the theater envigorated and full of joy. my love to all the crew and cast — it was a gift to see this.

Camelot

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 23 May 2006]

The opening scene of this film is something not to be believed. We are aware that young Ralph, who is lying in the back seat of a car is not asleep. When the car stops, his mother, Lauren, and her male companion, proceed to engage in sex in the front seat. Just to imagine that anyone in its right mind would take such a chance, let alone, knowing one's son might get to see, or hear, what's going on, is beyond comprehension.

The relationship between Lauren and Harry Compton, higher ups in the British delegation in Swaziland, in the sixties, is on the border of collapse. Harry drinks too much and Lauren feels nothing for this man. When Lauren announces she is leaving father and son, she doesn't realize the effect it will cause on the young, and impressionable boy, who compensates his frustration with a nervous tic whenever he feels a stressful situation happening, or even on the alcoholic husband.

Harry goes to marry an American, Ruby, a kind woman who takes to the young boy, who refuses her attentions at first, but he ends up bonding with her because she turns out to be a real friend. To make matters worse, Harry has gotten to the point of no return. His drinking is killing him. Ralph pleads with a local doctor to prescribe pills to help his father, but obviously, all comes too late.

Richard E. Grant's directorial debut shows a man with a sensitivity for this drama, which we don't know if it's autobiographical, or maybe it might have been a story he might have witnessed during his childhood in that country. He gathered a cast of some of the best actors working in films today for this picture. By selecting "Camelot" as play the club is going to stage, makes perfect sense as this particular musical implies a bygone era that is fondly remembered.

Gabriel Byrne is fine as Harry. Miranda Richardson shows a cruelty beyond human comprehension as Lauren. Nicholas Hoult makes an impression as the sensitive Ralph. Julie Walters is perfect as Gwen. Celia Imrie, a fine actress is great fun to watch as Lady Riva Harwick.

"Wah-Wah" is an interesting film debut as it shows a talented actor that puts into practice what he learned in front of the camera.

Extremely affecting (especially if you lived through a divorce)

[werewolfkings · 3 June 2006]

I have never been to Swaziland and was never been a member of the colonial junket, but this film really spoke to me. *Minor Spoiler*The story is about a boy growing up as his father slowly descends into alcoholism after his first wife leaves him. I shared this same background, and I must say that this is probably the best film I have ever seen on the subject of how a child has to live through the raggy relationships of their parents. The beautiful Swaziland backdrop and the comments on the decadence of the late colonial period are just icing on the poisonous cake that the young man has to survive in order to become a man. Sure, it has some corny moments in it, and some occasional points where the reality of the world is slightly torn by a clumsy edit or an obviously fake or too autobiographical scene, but I love this film so much that I can ignore these faults (if faults they are).

Domestic relationship crumble as officials for Great Britain hand over control of Swaziland in 1960's.

[htkeenan · 4/10 · 29 May 2006]

"Wah Wah" purports to dramatize the unraveling of domestic relationships as they parallel the British loosening of its control of Swaziland and granting independence to that African country in 1960s. The British as colonial rulers are inept. As human beings, they are shallow. Theme calls out for a writer with the satiric genius of an Evelyn Waugh. Instead the view gets wah, wah. The result is that the dramatic scenery is more interesting and active than the soap opera plot and over acting of some distinguish players. Movie suffers from the typical upper class British attitude of "look how clever we are." The colonials performance of "Camelot" fits this charade of a movie. Could have been a moving and interesting movie but failed in story, pacing, and acting. "Wah Wah" is a no, no!