Good deed leads to hunt for money

MANY television fans are familiar with the no-nonsense granny in Tyler Perry's Madea movies. Gog' Helen, a local movie starring Lilian Dube in the title role, can be viewed as a local equivalent.

Gog' Helen lives in a shantytown and in her old mattress is a stash of her life savings - about R30000. The health of her daughter, played by Winnie Modise, is fast deteriorating and Gog' Helen has to watch over her granddaughter Agnes, played by former Generations actress Kagiso Rakosa.

Under the guise of being at school in Johannesburg, Agnes is actually working as a prostitute. She one day visits Gogo and, in a gesture of goodwill, buys a new mattress to replace Gogo's old, worn-out one. Little does she know that she's thrown out Gogo's savings as well.

The film follows the two of them in a race to recover Gogo's cash and hot on their heels are Agnes's pimps - played by Jet Novuka and Andile Mxakaza - who want Agnes back at work.

Gog' Helen is the kind of comedy that will make you laugh until your stomach hurts, but it is nonetheless an adventurous joy ride with a stellar cast that also includes the likes of Nandi Nyembe, Sophie Ndaba and Bubu Mazibuko. Gog' Helen shows at The Bioscope at Arts-on-Main, Johannesburg starting today. Producers say more screenings in townships will follow.

Verdict: Good

SHORT TAKE

Title: 360

360 follows the lives of various characters who are spread out across the globe but are connected through their sexual interactions. Think of it as Hollywood's version of Intersexions. The movie stars the likes of Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz, but none, despite their acting talent, manages to save a film that comes across as too experimental.

Verdict: Poor