Publications
Partners
(Photo supplied)
What it's about:
When the attractive and overly confidant businessman Basson van Rensburg's (Ivan Botha) father, van Rensburg Senior (Marius Weyers), passes away, he has five days to make it to the funeral in Cape Town. However, he needs to complete certain tasks on this trip before he can call the family company his own. Basson's ego is instantly crushed when his first task is to hand over his car keys to an old friend of his father, Thomas Ndlovu, in exchange for a pair of his handmade 'vellies'.
Basson meets the beautiful, free spirited bohemian girl, Amory (Donnalee Roberts), next to the road, where her Ford Anglia has a flat tyre. When Basson spots a slingshot in her car and challenges her to a shoot-off in exchange for a lift. She accepts. Basson wins and the two strangers embark on a road trip.
Basson soon learns that Amory is on a mission of her own when she ticks off the first item on her bucket list. Help a stranger. As they journey across the breathtaking beauty of South Africa they meet wonderful characters that allow for hilarious moments and life changing experiences. Basson starts to view life through Amory's eyes. Falling in love was not part of their plan, yet they both know that nothing has ever felt more destined to be. Their trip takes a sudden turn when a dark figure with his own agenda catches up to them on his motorbike. Basson and Amory are left with disappointment and heartache. On the road called life, it is inevitable that you will hit potholes and take some wrong turns. But no matter how hard the road might be, on route to true love is where you will find your true north.
What we thought:
Pad Na Jou Hart is pretty much everything you expect from any romantic movie. A selfish bastard has to do a few tasks for his recently deceased father in order to get control of his family’s company, but on the way meets a care-free bohemian that changes his outlook on life. At first they resist their attraction, but true love always prevails.
However, being a local production in a language genre filled with depressing dramas or slapstick Leon Schusters, Pad Na Jou Hart definitely lifts its head way above the rest in terms of production quality and acting performances, on par with any Hollywood production. The humour was tasteful and fun, had enough twists to keep you interested and leading stars Ivan Botha and Donnalee Roberts (also the screenplay writers) really made you believe that you could find your true love on the side of the road.
Made by leading SA movie company The Film Factory (Verraaiers, Bakgat series, Musiek vir die Agtergrond), the film was entertaining and beautifully shot with amazing scenery of the South African road from Johannesburg to Cape Town with its very colourful characters on the way – all of which just gives you an itch to jump in the car and do your own road trip. Very happy to see a local film utilise everything our country has to offer in terms of locations.
Botha takes on a very different role to his known Bakgat persona and it shows that he wants to prove that he has grown up since his nerd-turned-rugby-god days. Although his supposed ‘smoothness’ makes you want to cringe, he pulls off a good performance alongside his co-writer and producer Roberts, known for her Annelie role on 7de Laan and Klein Karoo. She is very convincing as a technology-averse free spirit trying to live her life according to a bucket list.
I wished though that there was a bit more originality in the story line, as I am pretty sure I have seen a similar TV movie with the same story line, although the twists do save it from being too predictable. Especially when the ending throws your heart a massive curve-ball and just for that brilliant piece of film-making I say bravo to whoever came up with it.
If you are looking for a more typical romantic comedy for you Valentine's date night, rather support a local production than going to see some Hollywood rehash like Vampire Academy.
When the attractive and overly confidant businessman Basson van Rensburg's (Ivan Botha) father, van Rensburg Senior (Marius Weyers), passes away, he has five days to make it to the funeral in Cape Town. However, he needs to complete certain tasks on this trip before he can call the family company his own. Basson's ego is instantly crushed when his first task is to hand over his car keys to an old friend of his father, Thomas Ndlovu, in exchange for a pair of his handmade 'vellies'.
Basson meets the beautiful, free spirited bohemian girl, Amory (Donnalee Roberts), next to the road, where her Ford Anglia has a flat tyre. When Basson spots a slingshot in her car and challenges her to a shoot-off in exchange for a lift. She accepts. Basson wins and the two strangers embark on a road trip.
Basson soon learns that Amory is on a mission of her own when she ticks off the first item on her bucket list. Help a stranger. As they journey across the breathtaking beauty of South Africa they meet wonderful characters that allow for hilarious moments and life changing experiences. Basson starts to view life through Amory's eyes. Falling in love was not part of their plan, yet they both know that nothing has ever felt more destined to be. Their trip takes a sudden turn when a dark figure with his own agenda catches up to them on his motorbike. Basson and Amory are left with disappointment and heartache. On the road called life, it is inevitable that you will hit potholes and take some wrong turns. But no matter how hard the road might be, on route to true love is where you will find your true north.
What we thought:
Pad Na Jou Hart is pretty much everything you expect from any romantic movie. A selfish bastard has to do a few tasks for his recently deceased father in order to get control of his family’s company, but on the way meets a care-free bohemian that changes his outlook on life. At first they resist their attraction, but true love always prevails.
However, being a local production in a language genre filled with depressing dramas or slapstick Leon Schusters, Pad Na Jou Hart definitely lifts its head way above the rest in terms of production quality and acting performances, on par with any Hollywood production. The humour was tasteful and fun, had enough twists to keep you interested and leading stars Ivan Botha and Donnalee Roberts (also the screenplay writers) really made you believe that you could find your true love on the side of the road.
Made by leading SA movie company The Film Factory (Verraaiers, Bakgat series, Musiek vir die Agtergrond), the film was entertaining and beautifully shot with amazing scenery of the South African road from Johannesburg to Cape Town with its very colourful characters on the way – all of which just gives you an itch to jump in the car and do your own road trip. Very happy to see a local film utilise everything our country has to offer in terms of locations.
Botha takes on a very different role to his known Bakgat persona and it shows that he wants to prove that he has grown up since his nerd-turned-rugby-god days. Although his supposed ‘smoothness’ makes you want to cringe, he pulls off a good performance alongside his co-writer and producer Roberts, known for her Annelie role on 7de Laan and Klein Karoo. She is very convincing as a technology-averse free spirit trying to live her life according to a bucket list.
I wished though that there was a bit more originality in the story line, as I am pretty sure I have seen a similar TV movie with the same story line, although the twists do save it from being too predictable. Especially when the ending throws your heart a massive curve-ball and just for that brilliant piece of film-making I say bravo to whoever came up with it.
If you are looking for a more typical romantic comedy for you Valentine's date night, rather support a local production than going to see some Hollywood rehash like Vampire Academy.
