TIFF 2022: Our Review of ‘The Umbrella Men’

Posted in TIFF 2022 by - September 10, 2022
TIFF 2022: Our Review of ‘The Umbrella Men’

Among its many functions, TIFF serves to reveal cinematic secrets from relatively obscure pockets in the world. Now, I’ve seen more than a few films from South Africa, but I’m not everybody, and everybody deserves to see films from over there. Specifically, Cape Town, home to a complex history and for the purposes of The Umbrella Men, the titular minstrel band, one of many in Cape Town. The locals look to Jerome (Jacques Da Silva), to lead the band after his father’s death. There are two things from stopping him from taking the reins. First, he already has a life as a music producer in Johannesburg, so he doesn’t even want the job. Second, his late father used the band’s base, a club, as collateral.

Jerome’s most logical option is to sell the club to his rival, Tariek Cupido (Abduragman Adams). The other option is to rob the same bank that loaned his father the money. This film spent a decade in development hell and that at one point saw Trevor Noah join and leave the cast. There are a few things stopping this film from being flawless, including a tropey plot arc where he ends up falling in love with bank teller Keisha (Shamilla Miller). But for the most part this is the good kind of stupid. There is a noticeable event that takes place during Jerome and Keisha’s meet cute. And that event is a clue for a few things that make the film exciting.

  • Release Date: 9/10/2022
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While Paolo Kagaoan is not taking long walks in shrubbed areas, he occasionally watches movies and write about them. His credentials are as follows: he has a double major in English and Art History. This means that, for example, he will gush at the art direction in the Amityville house and will want to live there, which is a terrible idea because that house has ghosts. Follow him @paolokagaoan on Instagram but not while you're working.
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