Spud

Having enjoyed the book and grown up around that time I was anxious to see how the movie turned out. Many nostalgic memories were aroused during the movie. I thought it was well made and true to the book - a good mix of humour and the serious business of growing up. The acting was good (Cleese was brilliant - exactly how I pictured the guv) and the scenery was great - I love the Natal Midlands.

The crazy eight could have been better developed. I wanted to see more of Mad Dog and Vern.

Sadly I don't think it is going to appeal to a wider audience outside South Africa. I imagine that most guys from the US just wont get it or appreciate it as they will not be familiar with the historical context of the time. I hope I am wrong because it is a good movie.

When I first read Spud, it made a huge impact on me. I saw the book as near perfect. Of course, when I heard about the film, I was jumping up and down. Today I went to see it. What a disappointment. It has it's strong points: 1. John Cleese 2. Troy Sivan 3. John Cleese 4. John Cleese 5. Interesting cinematic interpretation of dairy-style book

Unfortunately I can't think of much more. Troy Sivan is the perfect cast, he sings amazingly, acts amazingly and looks the part. John Cleese, well, I don't really have to say anything.

The story is not at all true to the 'near-perfect' book. It lets out most of the high points of the book as well as all the subtleties that the fans of Spud were hoping to see in the movie. And where it does contain important points of the book, it is in some way changed. This was disappointing to say the least.

If you have read the book and have already developed a firm mental image of the characters, go see the film. If you haven't read the book, read it first and then go see it, or better yet, rent it on DVD. This is not a film that needs to be seen on the big screen.

I don't know whether I can give an impartial review of this movie, but I'd like to try. You see, I was at the same school, but about 15 years before John van der Ruit. And I couldn't finish the book. It brought back too many unhappy memories. But I managed to stay the course for the movie ! Spud chronicles the first year for John (Spud) Milton at Michaelhouse, an elite boys-only boarding school in the KwaZulu-Natal countryside. It was filmed at the school itself, although for some reason the name was never mentioned, and the uniform, war-cry etc were all changed.

Spud is funny, touching, poignant, and the scenery is pretty too. I'm referring to the countryside around, but the young ladies in the cast contribute here as well. All actors are good/adequate in their roles, and John Cleese makes a creditable transition as an actor from clown to wise old man. Troye Sivan is very good as the bemused and put-upon Spud.

My problem with the book, and with the movie to a certain extent as well, is no fault of John van der Ruit or the movie makers themselves. It's about the people that you have to live with in such a situation.

I spent 5 years at Michaelhouse, and 2 years in National Service, and what made both times a lot less happy than they needed to be, were the people who went out of their way to make other people's lives unpleasant. In Spud it's Rambo, and to a lesser extent, one or two others in the Crazy Eight. Rambo especially, cannot just get on with his life and let others get on with theirs, he has to drag everyone along on his idiotic escapades. And then when they go awry, everyone has to pay. A thoroughly unpleasant person, but one who brought back memories of many such people in school and the army.

It's ironic that one of the books that the Guv offers to Spud, "Catch 22", falls into the same category for me. I've tried to read it twice ! But I find the character of Yossarian to be very similar to Rambo, and I can't get past a certain point. Maybe my reading of it is too coloured by my life in these 2 institutions.

I hope there are sequels and that we can follow Spud throughout his scholastic career. My life at Michaelhouse improved over the years as I learned to ignore the idiots and pursue my own interests. Let's hope we can trace Spud's rise similarly.

And I hope at the end of the final chapter, the camera lingers on the charge over the doorway into the Memorial Hall - a charge that I passed on to my own son at his coming of age - QUIT YOU LIKE MEN !

OK, I haven't seen the movie yet - heck, I'm only about 2/3 of the way through the book - but I just want to let the SA reviewers know that if the book is any indication, stop worrying about whether international viewers/readers will get it.

All the descriptors and comparisons - coming-of-age, Catch-22, Lord of the Flies - are inadequate. Spud transcends any comparison to become its own unique moment in world history and personal history. It's not only young John Milton's maturing to manhood, but the entire nation's maturing out of apartheid that we see played out here in subtle, powerful parallel.

It's a magnificent, universal story that rings with truth, and I am so very happy my friend Sue, in Cape Town, recommended it.

"Spud" is a pleasant coming of age comedy with stellar performances by Sivan and Royal. John Cleese delivers what is possibly his career best performance in a dramatic role. Other performances are generally solid, particularly Cope and Kriek.

The plot is familiar and often predictable; however, the execution is so organic that one seldom feels aware that one seldom feels conscious of viewing a film, even during the frequent voice-overs.

There are a number of unique elements to the story that seem largely squandered. The story is set in South Africa, but could just as easily have been set in Britain, Canada, Australia or a number of other locations. It occurs during a turbulent period in the country's history, but the school is isolated from political events. Spud attends a posh private school on a full scholarship, but while he is bullied, he's never bullied over his modest background. He reads "A Tale of Two Cities" and performs in "Oliver Twist," but there is no effort to draw any parallels with the country's political events or Spud's circumstances. While the film seems predictable in many respects, one expects various elements to be more fully developed and to have a greater impact on the story.

Various subplots converge at the climax in manners that are not unexpected, but don't seem entirely earned. Spud is given an option that doesn't seem earned and The Guv's situation changes abruptly in a manner that doesn't seem the logical and necessary progression of prior events. The climax might have been more fulfilling if the characters had done more to earn the outcomes.

Production values are adequate. The pace is a little slow at times. There is one scene with Spud reading in the foreground while minor events occur in the background that serves to remind the viewer that the filmmakers don't do much with the background in most shots.

Overall, it's a pleasantly entertaining film that could have done much more with some of the unique elements in the story.