{"id":12786,"date":"2021-08-31T15:06:34","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T13:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=12786"},"modified":"2021-08-31T15:06:41","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T13:06:41","slug":"mr-johnson-shows-that-age-is-no-barrier-when-it-comes-to-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2021\/08\/31\/mr-johnson-shows-that-age-is-no-barrier-when-it-comes-to-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Mr Johnson Shows That Age Is No Barrier When It Comes To Love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2018Mr Johnson\u2019, new film starring Paul Slabolepszy and Jana Cilliers, explores romance in the golden years.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Falling in love isn\u2019t for the young alone. Love stories about older people come with their own complexities, often delving into plotlines that are out-of-the-box and unconventional.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MR JOHNSON – Paul Slabolepszy and Jana Cilliers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Written and directed by award-winning cinematographer, William Collinson, \u2018Mr Johnson\u2019 follows the adventures of David Johnson (Paul Slabolepszy) who wakes from a 47-year coma at the age of 73.  He has a hard time dealing with his aged body and the fact that he has missed out on more than half his life.  But as he slowly makes his way into a strange new world, his youthful exuberance is undimmed and, with a little prodding, he tackles life, and love, with the energy of his 26-year-old self. With the help of a kindly internet caf\u00e9 assistant, he tracks down his college sweetheart, Helena McCarthy (Jana Cilliers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is something endearing about a couple rediscovering love and companionship in the autumn of their lives,\u201d says Collison. \u201cThe film explores mature relationships with an eye on sensitivity, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to falling in love. A bitter-sweet drama, the film also looks at the ways older people are ignored and invisible to society in today\u2019s fast-paced, technology-driven world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the tradition of films like \u2018The Bridges of Madison County\u2019 (Clint Eastwood and Meryl Street), \u2018As Good as it Gets\u2019 (Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt), and \u2018Last Chance Harvey\u2019 (Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson), \u2018Mr Johnson\u2019 explores how romance between older people can often be richer than young love. Adult couples have had more time to realise their own romantic needs \u2014 and more time to gain complicated \u2013 and entertaining \u2013 baggage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the tradition of the best movies about older couples, the lead characters in \u2018Mr Johnson\u2019 discover new things about themselves and each other,\u201d says Helen Kuun, MD of Indigenous Film Distribution. \u201cThat they don’t always behave like grownups just goes to show that romance makes people nutty at every age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Mr Johnson\u2019 won the award for best feature at the Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival. It also won the jury prizes for best film and best actor in a leading role at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the latest film from the Azania Productions stable (\u2018Broken Promises 4-Ever\u2019, \u2018Blessers\u2019), and is written and directed by award-winning cinematographer, William Collinson (Double Echo, Last Broken Darkness).  This is his feature film directorial debut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Mr Johnson\u2019 premieres on DStv BoxOffice on 7 September, ensuring that audiences watch this charming and thought-provoking film in the safety and comfort of their own homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film also stars Frank Rautenbach (\u2018The Bang Bang Club\u2019), Sisanda Henna (\u2018Griekwastad\u2019), Graham Hopkins (\u2018Eye in the Sky\u2019), Jailoshini Naidoo (\u2018Keeping Up with the Kandasamys\u2019), Carla Classen (\u2018Stroomop\u2019), Drikus Volschenk (\u2018Dis Ek, Anna\u2019), Antony Coleman (\u2018Blood Diamond\u2019), Heike Brunner (\u2018Knysna\u2019), Clayton Boyd (\u2018The Entity\u2019), Marinus Gubitz (\u2018Onortodoks\u2019), and Mila Guy (\u2018Wonderlus\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Johnson was made with support of the Department of Trade and Industry, the National Film and Video Foundation and Indigenous Film Distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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