Caminhos do Coração

"Pad na jou hart" can only be described as a real "feel-good-movie".

The actors all played their parts well, and both Ivan Botha and Donnalee Roberts were comfortable in their roles. There are also quite a few other familiar faces, including Marius Weyers. He only gets a little bit of screen-time, but his acting is excellent as always.

The movie is a bit long for a romantic comedy, but it never gets boring or monotonous.

This is also another South African movie where the beautiful scenery contributes to the movie's overall greatness. We get to see many different parts of South Africa, including the beautiful Garden Route, as the characters travel from Jo'burg to Cape Town.

If you like Afrikaans movies (or a good romantic comedy), this one is a must for your DVD collection!

As the tagline of the movie says, "Pad na jou hart" is a movie about finding your True North and it is this theme that sticks with me and keeps bringing my mind back to the movie even some time after seeing it.

It follows the story of young ambitious Businessman Basson van Rensburg (Ivan Botha) who has 5 days to get to Cape Town for his Father's funeral. If he does this and completes several tasks along the way he will become CEO of the family business. What follows is a road trip where he meets the free-spirited Amory (Donnalee Robberts) as well as a variety of colourful characters that challenges Basson's sheltered and narrow world views.

It is the type of plot that has been seen before, but where the film really shines is in it's sincerity. The moments that are created are heartfelt and real. The supporting cast consists of some of the heavyweight veterans of South African film who are at their best and give depth to their full-round characters and their stories. The on-screen chemistry between the two lead characters works and the viewer really becomes part of their adventurous road trip and their struggles.

One thing that really irks me of some Afrikaans films is the over-use of clichés and I can honestly say that this film was very well written and steers clear of such clichés: The characters are original rather than carbon copies from other films; the humour is light and fresh and the dialogue has a "real" human tone to it. Subtle, unobtrusive suggestions guide the viewer's hopes and fears for the characters and the plot keeps surprising.

The choice of music strongly contributes to the road trip mood of the movie and the landscapes and people showcase the diversity and beauty of South Africa. A road trip between Johannesburg and Cape Town is a theme that resonates strongly with many South Africans (including me) and it is probably the celebration of this theme that will make me buy the DVD once it's released.

The movie is much more than just a Romance between a guy and a girl - it is an adventure Romance that confronts you with the question of whether you're truly following your heart. It stays with me.

This South African movie is spoken in 99% Afrikaans (derived from Dutch) with the oddly surprising English phrase bleeding through at times. I guess that's what the spoken language sounds like in 21st century South Africa. The lead actors have fashion-model looks, which makes it easy to root for them in this road-trip movie that reminds me at times of "Rain Man," at times of the "Blues Brothers," and at times of "Cherry 2000." Yet this is not really a derivative movie, it has a heart and a rhythm of its own.

Can this really be South Africa? Part of it looks like Australia. Part looks like New York City. Part looks like San Francisco during the Summer of Love in the late 1960s. Most of the road trip takes place in a car even older than the Summer of Love.

Yes, the plot contains "twists" you can see coming from miles away. Yes, the outcomes are rarely in doubt. This is a sweet movie. It won't tax your brain. It's like eating dessert without eating a meal first. So what? The world needs more movies like this.

Bravo.

This movie is proof that South Africa is on the correct path to make GREAT movies. This is truly a feel good movie that gives you a warm feeling of satisfaction. The acting was more than satisfactory , DonnaLee Roberts was the best choice for the leading female role ,I would recommend this movie to everyone that wants to escape for 2 hours and enjoy one of the best South African movies I have seen in a long time.

I'm so happy that the producers is moving away from the age old South African tradition of movie making and giving us a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family .