Directors: Katleho Ramaphakela, Rethabile Ramaphakela
Writer(s): Lwazi Mvusi
Starring: Fulu Mugovhani, Tumi Morake, Bohang Moeko and Yonda Thomas
We always knew rom-coms were popular in the United States, but like a typical self-centered American douchebag, I never even stopped to think that there are still close to 200 countries out there, and romance is an ideology in all of them. I mean, who doesn’t love being swept off their feet? Who can’t relate to the feelings of that first blossoming love? Who doesn’t have that special someone they keep letting back into their lives, no matter how much they ruin them? That’s true love. And that means no matter where you go, there are going to be movies about it.
Seriously Single is a South African (?) attempt at the subgenre. There are probably dozens - if not hundreds - of South African rom-coms, but this feels like the first one ever made: Even despite Netflix's backing, it's clumsy and awkward and rough around the edges. It often has the feel of a low-budget movie made by amateurs rather than the gloss of a big studio production. But it does have a certain charm about it, as well as an attractive cast, that helps to reign it in at least a little bit when all else fails.
Dineo is a woman who is desperate to get married. How desperate? So desperate that the local courier stays in business just from delivering her belongings from the house of the latest man to dump her (of course this begs a more serious question; why’d they let her move in in the first place?) At her rock bottom, that's when she meets Lunga, a charming, handsome man who quickly makes her his world. Certain this is the man she’s been waiting for, she falls into old patterns…and achieves the same results. Lunga, as it turns out, is getting married, something Dineo finds out the hard way after stumbling in on his bachelor party (long story).
The antithesis to her obsessively monogamist ways (there always has to be an opposite) is Noni, her best friend and a woman who’s uninterested in long-term commitment. According to her, if you sleep with someone twice, it’s a relationship, so she goes out of her way to make sure her life is a series of string-free one night stands. She tries to get Dineo to embrace her inner self, rather than chasing a string of men who have no interest in settling down.
Then, in the midst of her singleness, Lunga steps back into her life (of course he does), with news that he has gotten divorced. The two get back together, and things are going well for the young couple. But are they really happy? Or has Dineo learned that she doesn't need a man to make her happy?
This is another rom-com that also aims to make the supporting character more "3-D", instead of just one who provides emotional support, by giving Noni a story of her own. After another casual one night stand, she develops a cat-and-mouse relationship with Max, a bar owner who sets his sights on making that wild cat settle down. Of course, she's at first reluctant because it goes against her "morals", but slowly, he starts to whittle down her defenses. Will she keep closing off, or will she learn that life can be improved by having a man?
Similar to Sounds Like Love, this is another “wom-com” where the men only serve as inspiration for the women to find themselves. Well, partially. Thankfully, it's not super preachy, and Tumi Morake is the perfect Noni, injecting some comedy thanks to her carefree ways and sage advice. Her interplay with Dineo is on-point; in fact, the chemistry between them is more believable than it is with any of the men.
In the end, the best I can grant this one is that it's "okay", and it's the worst of the foreign romance movies we’ve seen thus far. It’s just clunky and utterly predictable, deriving its laughs from tired situations and over-the-top scenarios. The cast is attractive - and convincing - enough to maintain interest during the slow parts, and they’re a likable bunch, but even they can’t overcome a weak script, and often poor execution.
ENTERTAINMENT RATING: 5.5/10
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