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Stander
2004
Unfolding with the speed and rhythm of an action movie and showcasing stylistic flourishes that hint at Quentin Tarantino, STANDER takes on one of history's most infamous injustices with a surprising amount of humor and vivacity. Set in 1976, the film tells the true story of Andre Stander, a young police captain in Johannesburg,.. Read more
| Starring | Thomas Jane, Deborah Kara Unger, David Patrick O'Hara, Dexter Fletcher |
|---|---|
| Director | Bronwen Hughes |
| Genres | Drama |
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Stander
Unfolding with the speed and rhythm of an action movie and showcasing stylistic flourishes that hint at Quentin Tarantino, STANDER takes on one of history's most infamous injustices with a surprising amount of humor and vivacity. Set in 1976, the film tells the true story of Andre Stander, a young police captain in Johannesburg, South Africa. His apex of official power coincided with the pinnacle of the devastating policies of apartheid. As the movie illustrates in an evocative and pivotal scene, Stander's view of his society and position within it is profoundly shaken when he kills an unarmed black man during a chaotic anti-apartheid riot. Aware that he lives in a society so devastatingly racist that he is free to murder without consequence, Stander stages an unconventional political protest by robbing banks. As he becomes more and more successful at maintaining a double life as a criminal-cop, his addiction to the thrills and accoutrements of the outlaw lifestyle begin to overshadow any political purpose. Director Bronwen Hughes (best known for helming studio flicks FORCES OF NATURE and HARRIET THE SPY) has skillfully woven together elements of a political tract, character study, and heist movie to a unified and compelling whole. But the movie belongs to its star, Thomas Jane, who seems to dissolve into his complex role, making Stander an irresistibly contradictory antihero.
| Starring | Thomas Jane, Deborah Kara Unger, David Patrick O'Hara, Dexter Fletcher |
|---|---|
| Director | Bronwen Hughes |
| Studio | MOMENTUM PICTURES |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 47 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 05 Sep 2005 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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A white South African cop uses his insiders knowledge to pull off a series of bank robberies, a stiff jail sentence... read more on Time Out
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Intriguing and thought provoking...an astonishing tale
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Most helpful member's review
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30 out of 37 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Very different & very, very good!
A wonderfully atmospheric film that is made even more fascinating by the fact that the story is largely true. A wonderfully charismatic performance by Thomas Jane as the lead Andre Stander.
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- younglochinvar from Prestatyn
- Posted 18 Sep 2007 18:24
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Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Rent at all costs
Loved it. More than anything i loved the pace. It doesnt drag on at all, as would be expected of films that document a series of bank robberies, but instead changes every 10 minutes keeping me delightfully interested. The acting is very strong, and aside from showing his rear end a little too much, Thomas Jane's performance is flawless, his face accuratley documenting the shift from happily married cop to an unhinged bank thief. There are few weaknesses in the film (the cover of the DVD the only sign of sparing expense) but one does wonder if a bank robber would be successfull in maintaining anonymity with Jane's strong cleft chin and strange hair styles, and if like me, you have spent a lot of time in SA the accents aren't completely accurate, but to the common observer they are fine, although if the accents were as strong as in reality; then i'd have to laugh, in the same way as if Thomas Jane were to do his best scouse impression, as Boers speak in amusingly high pitches.
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