6.9/10
2,689
50 user 47 critic

Wah-Wah (2005)

Set at the end of the '60s, as Swaziland is about to receive independence from Great Britain, the film follows the young Ralph Compton, at 12, through his parents' traumatic separation, ... See full summary »

Director:

5 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Gwen Traherne
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Lauren Compton
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Lady Riva Hardwick
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June Broughton
John Matshikiza ...
Dr. Zim Mzimba
Sid Mitchell ...
Vernon
John Carlisle ...
Sir Gifford Hardwick
Mathokoza Sibiya ...
Dozen
Sindisiswe Nxumalo ...
Regina
Michael Richard ...
Tobias
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Storyline

Set at the end of the '60s, as Swaziland is about to receive independence from Great Britain, the film follows the young Ralph Compton, at 12, through his parents' traumatic separation, till he's 14. It is written and directed by Richard E Grant, and based on true events from Richard E Grant's childhood. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Every family has its own language.

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and brief sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

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Language:

Release Date:

2 June 2006 (UK)  »

Also Known As:

A Conquista da Liberdade  »

Filming Locations:


Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$55,304 (USA) (12 May 2006)

Gross:

$233,103 (USA) (23 June 2006)
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Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Rachel Weisz, Toni Collette, Meg Ryan and Emmanuelle Béart all turned down roles. See more »

Goofs

The movie supposedly starts in 1969 with the date appearing on the screen. Yet Swaziland received independence on 6 September 1968. See more »

Quotes

Ralph Compton - 11 years old: Doesn't she love me any more?
Harry Compton: Of course she does.
Ralph Compton - 11 years old: Then how could she leave?
See more »

Connections

References One Million Years B.C. (1966) See more »

Soundtracks

The Lusty Month of May
from "Camelot"
Written by Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Truly fantastic movie: brilliant pacing, excellent performances, quality cast.
18 August 2005 | by (Edinburgh, Scotland) – See all my reviews

Truly fantastic movie. I went to the world premiere last night at Edinburgh Film Festival and was blown away. As much as I like Richard E. Grant, I must confess that I was expecting a rather indulgent art-house auto-biopic. Instead, what we got was a brilliant, superbly paced, wonderfully entertaining feature film that held the audience to the last scene. The first 10 minutes are a little slow, but from then on Grant never puts a foot wrong.

"Wah-Wah" has the right blend of comic situations, gritty family conflict, stunning African scenery and caricatures of latter-day British imperial pretensions to entertain, engage and amaze.

Nicholas Hoult shows that the intensity and charisma evidenced in "About A Boy" were no childhood fluke, while Gabriel Byrne brings a perfect mix of menace and charm to encapsulate the contradictions of Grant's father figure. Special kudos goes to Emily Watson, whose on-screen presence is radiant and lively, rather akin to Rachel Griffiths in "Six Feet Under".

With an assured debut like this, Grant should soon be able to give up those wretched Argos ads for good!


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