Dealt a taste of Durban weather

I saw one of the best crime thrillers that I've ever seen last night and visited Taste of Durban, a food festival presented outdoors in the pouring rain. 

Durbanites huddled under their umbrellas while sampling food and wine. That reminds me, I'm seeing a Swedish documentary about food porn called Foodies today.

I could only take competing for a dry seat, hiding under umbrellas, getting rain in my Thai food and having my ale diluted for so long and headed for the screening of Dealer. 

Jean Luc Herbulot's drugs and sex laced action thriller is a must-see. For a debut feature, it is a monumental work. The only other film I can compare it with is Drive with Ryan Gosling and Dealer stops Drive dead in its tracks. I used to think Drive was one of the best ever!

Dealer is set in the Paris underworld where a dealer named Dan gets a chance to do his last big deal and escape to Australia. The film is set over 24 hours where so much happens at 180 bpm - sex, drugs and pumping house music set the tone for rape, lots of blood, all kinds of shooting and raw violence.

The acting is good, story shocking yet believable, characters dark and colourful at the same time, language descriptive  and pace exhilarating. Two hours flew past in a blink and I forgot about the rain outside.

See Dealer if it is showing near you. This film is definitely for adults only. Good one DIFF for showing French avant garde.

On my plate today is Foodies, White bird in a blizzard and Do I sound gay? The documentary about the so-called gay voice should offer hours of laughter. 

Tonight the awards will be presented and I intend to see some of the winners tomorrow as well as Taxi and the closing film, The Prophet.

(Danie Jacobs for filmfestivals.com)