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Poppie Nongena Movie Review

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Review for the film " Poppie Nongena"

Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video

Runtime: 02 Hour 21 Minutes

Certificate: UA

Released: 31-01-2020

Genre: Drama, Biography

Similar To: Shirley, His Three Daughters, Lonely Planet, Rez Ball

Critic Review
User Review

3.75 / 5.00

3.45 / 5.0

MORE CAST & CREW

Producer:

Juli Lotter

Gillian Pearson

Tina Kruger

Wikus du Toit

Jan du Plessis

Helena Spring

Roelof Storm

Kaye Ann Williams

Anneke Villet

Karen Meiring

Cinematographer:

Vicci Turpin

Editor:

Eva du Preez

Writer:

Christiaan Olwagen

Elsa Joubert

Saartjie Botha

Director:

Poppie Nongena

Christiaan Olwagen

Costume Designer:

Sylvia van Heerden

Assistant Director:

Loren Loubser

Thabani Gigaba

Casting Director:

Quinton Lavery

Tracey Lund

Christa Schamberger

Karin van der Laag

Production Manager:

Mayra Garcia

Production Designer:

Surisa Surisa

Birrie le Roux

Actor:

Neels van Jaarsveld

Cintaine Schutte

Albert Pretorius

De Klerk Oelofse

Geon Nel

Luc Given Mkhondo

Given Mkhondo

Dawid Minnaar

Rolanda Marais

Kathryn Beulah

Thembalethu Ntuli

Letlotlo Zimkhitha Mohlabeng

Nicole Holm

Aphiwe Sithole

Deon Nebulane

Chris Gxalaba

Nomsa Nene

Anna-Mart van der Merwe

Clementine Mosimane

Beer Adriaanse

Chris April

Siya Mayola

Albert Maritz

Sipho Mahlatshana

Sindiwe Magona

Vanessa Lee

Sandile Kamle

Susan Danford

Jacques Bessenger

Ludwig Binge

Lida Botha

Sonia Burqwana

Genesis Canda

Sound Department:

Richard West

Jack Van Wyk

Carl Roberts

Simon Ratcliffe

James Olivier

J.J. Le Roux

David Houston

Jade Hill

Michael Broomberg

empty:

John Smith

Special Effects:

John Smith

Calen Van Schalkwyk

Visual Effects:

Nicholas Costaras

Richard Aaron

empty:

Gale Shepherd

Camera Department:

Garyth Hampton

Roan van der Walt

Waseem Richards

Willy Nahimana

King Masengere

Christopher Grant Harvey

Zane Harrison

Kevin Gibb

Brian Fleischman

Ryan Faber

empty:

Daniel Rheed

Mike Savage

Casting Department:

Mario Jansen

Madelie Jansen

empty:

Marc Baleiza

Wilhelm Conradie

Kimberley Hobbs

Click Here For Full Cast & Crew

Poppie Nongena is a 2019 South African biographical drama film based on the famous novel “The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena”.

The Film is directed and written by the well-known director Christiaan Olwage.

It's a film that takes you back to the Apartheid period in South Africa, a period of great oppression against women. It portrays a powerful story of South African women’s struggle during that era.

Plot

The story revolves around a married South African woman, Poppie Nongena, who struggles to find stability during the Apartheid period in South Africa ,where women were forced into arrest.

Her husband, Stone, works as a contract laborer, but when he falls too ill to continue his work, the government declares Poppie an illegal resident of the country.

The story further talks about the struggles that Poppie must face.

Star Performance

Clementine Mosimane beautifully portrays the role of Poppie Nongena, leaving the viewers feeling empathy for the character. The film also stars Anna-Mart van der Merwe as Antoinette Swanepoe and Chris Gxalaba as Poppie’s husband, Stone.

Nomsa Nene as Lena and Rolanda Marais as Magriet were also some memorable characters in the movie despite the Focus on Poppie.

Analysis

The film tries to gain a sense of sympathy and prestige throughout the movie. It is successful in doing that through the beautifully directed scenes and the motivational plot of Poppie overcoming adversity in a world that is hostile and restrictive towards her.

While the film is an adaptation, you might expect it to bear a close resemblance to the novel’s content. Still, you will be a little disappointed about how the film is carried through the events more than the characters themselves, which turns into a slight disconnect.

As the film progresses, it manages to bring out the emotional side of us, and we get to see the insights of Poppie’s world and the actions of the government. It provides us with a little glimpse of Apartheid-era South Africa.

What’s There?

Emotional Plot
A sense of Prestige
Fantastic acting by Clementine and some interior scenes that carry weight

What’s Not There?

Lack of Strong Character development
Negligible Focus on building relationship
Meaningful, intense scenes are missing from the movie

Verdict

The film Poppie Nongena is a slow-moving biographical drama that remains emotional and maintains the audience's interest all the way to the end. However, the story could have been more compelling if the story carried more intimacy through better scenes, as the character progression at times can feel a little slow and stale.

Overall, “Poppie Nongena” is a safe and well-respected adaptation. While it has flaws, they can be overlooked if you appreciate the era it takes you back to.