Die Spook van Uniondale

In the small South African town of Uniondale, there's a legend of a hitchhiking ghost. I thought 'Die Spook van Uniondale' (The Ghost of Uniondale) was the story of the legend. But its not. This is a fictional story of a ghost from Uniondale.

And I say from Uniondale, because as it turns out the film is set in the town of Willowmore, about 62km from Uniondale. The film tells two stories; one in the past, and one in the present. On his way to visit his parents for Easter, Stefan (Adam Tas) has car trouble, and the car finally breaks down in Willowmore. While waiting for his car to be fixed (by a shady mechanic played by Jakkie Louw), Stefan goes to the hotel for a drink. (Note how the hotel looks like a different era to the present).

When Stefan sees a photo on the wall of a woman he saw along the road, the barman tells him she died about 30 years ago. He then tells Stefan the story of loving couple Marie (played by the beautiful Tanya van Graan) and Johan (played by the deliciously handsome Ivan Zimmermann). It is a tragic love story. I won't go into detail but off course the film is about a ghost - that being Marie. Her soul is restless and realizing it has something to do with Johan, she tries desperately to contact him again.

Renowned South African comedian Tobie Cronje stars as Cornelius, a carefree ghost who becomes Marie's friend and mentor. Although he is the film's comic relief character, Cornelius is an important addition to the story. He is a likable character, who - despite his nonchalant appearance - also has a caring nature, and deeper feelings. I thought Tobie Cronje was wonderful in this role.

The only character that puzzled me, was Jan-Dawid (Andre Schwartz). This character never spoke, and he didn't even need a name, since no-one could see or speak to him. I can only imagine he was a ghost, but not sure what his intentions or motives were. The film would have worked just as well without him.

There's a 'romantic interest' in the present time as well, but it was more a friendship than a love interest. There's an interesting twist ending when past and present converge.

South Africa rarely makes fantasy films, and to see a fantasy with great visuals, is a treat. The visuals are unlike anything seen before in an Afrikaans film (not that I recall anyway), and I thought it served the film very well, considering its premise. The cinematography is also truly beautiful. Even the film score was very different to the norm. It was magical and mystical - almost enchanting - with a foreboding element to it.

For me, 'Die Spook van Uniondale' is one of SA's better movies - because it is so unique. It's not the same old clichéd love story we've seen so much of lately. Let's forget about the fact the film is not based on the 'real' Uniondale legend. To those not in the know, it won't matter anyway. Enjoy the film for what it is. I certainly did.

Based on a real life tragedy, Die Spook van Uniondale has an enticing premise, but sadly abandons its more compelling ghost story to focus instead on the mundane courting process of its bland present-day leads.

This film performs best when it contrasts the gloom of ill-fated love with the playful pranking of its ghost cast on members of the mortal realm. However, the story itself lacks substance. While it is hinted early on that Mari's haunting has something to do with her jealous friend's pursual of her surviving lover, this idea is only toyed with and the subplot is trivially dismissed by the third act. Player after player is introduced – some of them even amusing – but character depth is scarce and what little progression exists is handled ineptly.

Some of the material works. Now and then a humorous line might provoke a laugh or two (although frustratingly, many do not). Some scenes involving Johan and Mari's tragedy may elicit a tear or a tight throat. Yet somehow the film keeps bringing the audience back to the present day, which sees boring protagonist Stefan appreciating the local eye candy as he waits impatiently for his car to get fixed. There is little connection between the A-story to the B-story, and this kind of to-and-fro is harrowing when the B-story is much more interesting.

Ultimately, Die Spook van Uniondale seems unaware of its strengths. It struggles to find solid footing, awards too much attention to its present day cast and ends abruptly with very little sense of closure. A wasted opportunity.