Stander

This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time, it really is a well scripted, acted and directed film. Thomas Jane is excellent in the title role of Andre Stander, a highly decorated Johannesburg detective who, after becoming despondent with his life in the oppressive South African police force, embarks on an audacious series of bank robberies. David O'Hara and Dexter Fletcher were also well cast as Stander's accomplices in this most enjoyable of crime capers.

The writing, script and dialogue were well crafted, whilst watching this film you might feel that Bima Stagg has a great imagination to spin such an unbelievable tale, incredibly though the film is a true story. Although the film is the tale of one mans rebellion against the system, it maintains an air of humour. Far from trivialising the story this reinforces the sheer audacity of the crime spree that ensues. I would highly recommend this film.

After picking up the movie almost solely for the purpose of watching Tom Jane the actual content and brilliance of the story was shocking. Even after I realized it wasn't my normal kind of movie I was compelled to watch, completely caught up in the lives and fates of the characters. Even more compelling due to the fact that it tells a true story there's a sense of real involvement with the people and their story. For people born after the 70's and far away from South Africa this era is something almost make believe but this movie brings it to glorious and heart breaking true life. Great acting, great story, well worth watching.

Hi, Stander was an absolute blast of a movie. Well directed & true the origins. Andre Stander (according to newspapers in SA)was deeply shocked by events and did feel a need to break away from what he felt was wrong, incl.the government's way at the time. Thomas Jane is a great actor and to have learned the accent - Wow! He looks so much like the real Stander. Stander as a movie is compare able to 'Blow' from Johnny Depp which was also a true 'story' movie. I felt the best thing from the movie was the fact that they made Johannesburg look so much like it did in the 80's and the cars they used, with all the different number plates, as well as the old bank names, was a classy touch. Johannesburg looks so nice and clean, like it used to be.

Now did it open worldwide, or at least in the USA, or UK on the 6 / 13th August? So did anyone manage to see it ?Because in SA it has since been on TV & DVD.

I've seen my share of South African films, being a South African myself, and I can tell you with pride and without hesitation that this was one of the best films from my country I've ever seen. I felt the protagonist's confusion and frustration. I cannot remember the last time I've wanted the bad guy to escape more than in this movie.

"ebhp1" commented on the accent, which made it difficult to understand the dialogue. I think it was a functional and very important part of the movie in an attempt to make it REAL. A movie about South Africans with an American accent? No. It's like making a British film French accents... I do have to congratulate the American actors who handled the accent so well. I even wondered if they were South African!

I take my hat off to you. A great movie with great actors.

A thoughtful action film, well written, directed and acted. A potent blend of character study and social history, with a dynamic performance by Thomas Jane in the title role. What at first seems to be a kind of Robin Hood tale turns out to be much more complex and unsettling.

Director/co-writer Bronwen Hughes (can this really be the same person who directed "Harriet the Spy"?) finds just the right tone and pace. The Soweto riot scene is a knockout and sets the stage for Andre Stander's disillusionment. The overall film is reminiscent (in the best sense) of some of the classic Hollywood films of the late 60s, early 70s such as "Butch Cassidy" and "Dog Day Afternoon."