Frankie en Felipé
In this delightful, family-friendly, South African comedy, the one-liner, “Where is it lekker?” reappears as a catchphrase, reminding us that local is truly, “lekker”.
Frankie en Felipé tells the tale of two, once inseparable, half-brothers who are split apart after one of them, Frankie (Brendan Olivier), is taken away to a home for lost boys. Later in life, Frankie has made a name for himself in the business world while Felipé (Solomon Cupido) is a lowly perfume salesman. Both brothers have financial troubles, Frankie has accumulated over R100 000 in debt, while Felipé owes a menacing loan shark. When Felipé turns to his estranged brother for help, he threatens to ruin the delicate life Frankie has created for himself, with his wedding day fast approaching.
This well-crafted film has all the makings of a top-notch Hollywood comedy. Think of two of the finest examples of the genre—Pretty Woman and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner—and you’ll get the idea.
Although it does find its footing on occasion, the film’s comedy relies too much on worn-out formulas and the jokes tend to be immature and silly.
The film reaches its peak, however, when it departs from such clichés.
With Frankie and Felipé’s stay at the family home of the fiancée (Kim Syster), the comedy takes place with its well-etched characters and has both funny and touching moments. Danny Ross’s portrayal of Felipé’s adversary, a pseudo-enlightened guru, who is also dating Kim’s sister (Bianca Flanders), whose demeanouris intentionally ludicrous, and is a brilliant and hilarious addition to Solomon Cupido’s performance.
Director, Marvin Lee Beukes, laudably strikes a balance between the comedic and dramatic elements, and the leading combo of Bradley Olivier and Solomon Cupido is charismatic. Cupido not only has the gift of gab, but he also captivates audiences in every situation he’s in. The fiery, flavourful local dialect elevates the personalities and banter, and the cast is incredibly unified. There is a strong on-screen, comic chemistry between the two brothers, who are no longer in touch, yet as actors, they are both in sync and obviously comfortable with the subject matter.
In the action scenes, well-framed and organised sequences are aesthetically pleasing. Despite the picture’s relative ease, its technical complexity is not particularly high. The fascinating thing about the filming locations is that they bring out different parts of Cape Town, which makes the city unique as a character in the film and Frankie and Felipé’s realities couldn’t be accentuated as more different in this way.
-Dirk Lombard Fourie