Umshini Wam

WOW! And an almost equally astounding WHAT?! I say almost because this is a very weird short film, but if you're a fan of Harmony Korine's work, you'll find it to be a very endearing weird, and if you don't "get" his films, this one will be entirely lost on you.

Umshini Wam is about two wannabe German ganstas in bright yellow and pink pajamas with machine guns who are on a quest for "redemption", as well as pimping out their wheelchairs, which I'm not even sure are necessary to these characters. Essentially, this film has our two protagonists Ninja and Yo Landi wandering the suburbs, pretending to shoot machine guns, sometimes actually shooting machine guns, smoking big fat blunts, hitting each other, drinking out of bottles, and killing people (with machine guns). It's one of the greatest films ever made about the wheelchair gansta sub-culture.

I was halfway expecting a side character to question these two courageous heroes, but it never happened, because this film takes the idea of "normal" and shoots it in the face with a machine gun!

I enjoyed this so much, being a fan of the weird and obscure zone of the youtubes (where I found this) and being a great fan of Die Antwoord. How can this be so weird, like most of their musical clips (check: I fink u freaky) and yet so cute? I think they nailed exactly what their music stands for in this clip. White "low life South African trash" combined with a great dose of humor, self-reflection and musical talent. They have an originality that's unique these days. No surprise that(what i've heard) they're speaking with David Lynch about making a movie. In addition to the reviewer before me; They're not German! They're South African. Their Language, mostly used in their songs and interviews and not much spoken in this flick, is "Afrikaans" which is kind of old Dutch sometimes combined with some English words. Colonial thing from the Netherlands, way back. To native English speakers it may sound like German, but it's really like comparing English to French...Believe me I know. I'm Dutch. Anyway, back on topic I really like these guys and their weirdness and I enjoyed this cute little eeriness (Is that a word?) they made!

This movie sums up Die Antwoord in a nut-shell. You either "get" Die Antwoord or you don't. If you understand the history of Ninja and Yo-Landi and the history of their group Die Antwoord, then you will totally understand how awesome this movie (short) is. Otherwise you will be staring at the screen thinking, "What did I just watch?". A lot of symbolism from the group's background can be seen throughout the film as well as the relationship between Yo-Landi and Ninja. Some of the non-English words are subtitled and some are not. It would be recommended to look up certain words spoken in Afrikaans that you hear while watching this movie, then watch it again to get a better understanding of all the dialog. A word of warning (not a spoiler)... Once you've seen Umshini Wam a few times, you will become addicted to the charm of this film.

I will admit that I am not at all familiar with the seemingly highly popular music duo featured in this film, so I cannot really comment much on how much their style is showcased here. However, I can admit that I am quite familiar with writer/director Harmony Korine, a man whose made some of the strangest movies of all time. I can say that Korine's style is heavily showcased in this experimental comedy-drama that feels like a freaky fantasy. Its an indescribably bizarre little experience that has its fair share of strengths and weaknesses. The biggest problem with it is that its style feels overly amateurish and ridiculous, and I also didn't like some of it on an overall stylistic level. It just felt pretentious at times, and at others it was just uncomfortable and dirty, and not in a good way.

Fortunately, this movie does has its good qualities. At times, its weirdness can be overwhelming, but at others it can be really engaging and entertaining-not to mention hilarious. This short is very funny at times, which makes up for its many faults.

Love Harmony Korine or hate him, it's hard to imagine many other filmmakers who could successfully make a short film with Die Antwoord. Infant terrible Korine is known for making strange and twisted films that polarize audiences and critics alike. South- African rap-rave group Die Antwoord are somewhat similar; their music and music videos are often mad (see their recent video for 'I Fink U Freeky') and cause people to love and hate them in equal measure.

'Umshini Wan' tells the story of two South African wannabe gangsters played by Die Antwoord's Ninja and Yo Landi, who ride around the suburbs in two shoddy wheelchairs, wearing day- glo yellow and pink onesies, ironically wanting to "be taken seriously".

Both players fare surprisingly well – considering that this is their first real foray into the film world – and deliver solid and engaging performances with effortless chemistry. If you are a newcomer to the weird world of Harmony Korine there is a fair chance that this short might confuse you; it is not as strange as some of his previous work, but it is still considerably strange nonetheless. However whether you are a fan of Korine, Antwoord or both, this is a highly enjoyable 15 minutes that is unexpectedly touching, even with its offbeat and slightly twisted nature.