• |
  • |
  • |
  • |
Go

Stander, 2003

Stander

English, Afrikaans, Zulu

Canada, Germany, South Africa, UK

Rating:7.1
jinni

Profile of Stander

The mood of Stander is rough, exciting, and suspenseful. The plot centers around rebelliousness, a heist, and rebellion. It is a drama, action, and crime movie. In approach, Stander is serious and realistic. The pacing is fast. The setting is South Africa. Stander happens in the 1980s. The movie is known for being critically acclaimed. It is especially suggested for a boys' night. Note that Stander includes nudity, profanity, and violent content.

Summary of 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.

Details

Language: English, Afrikaans, Zulu
Country: Canada, Germany, South Africa, UK
Release date: 16 January 2004
Runtime: 116 min

Cast and Crew

Thomas Jane as Andre Stander in Stander
Thomas Jane

as Andre Stander

Dexter Fletcher as Lee McCall in Stander
Dexter Fletcher

as Lee McCall

Photos

Deborah Kara Unger and Thomas Jane in Stander (2003)
Deborah Kara Unger and Thomas Jane in Stander (2003)
David O'Hara, Dexter Fletcher and Thomas Jane in Stander (2003)
David O'Hara, Dexter Fletcher and Thomas Jane in Stander (2003)
Dexter Fletcher, Thomas Jane and David O'Hara in Stander (2003)
Dexter Fletcher, Thomas Jane and David O'Hara in Stander (2003)
Thomas Jane in Stander (2003)
Thomas Jane in Stander (2003)

Clips

Stander
Stander: Official Trailer
Stander
Stander: Home Video

Critics Reviews

Los Angeles Times
Crackles with forceful portrayals. Funny, violent, impassioned and inescapably poignant, Stander in no way sanctions Stander's turning to a life of crime yet has the courage to see him as a victim of apartheid himself.
Entertainment Weekly
Riveting true-life drama.

Users Reviews

This movie has an interesting look and an interesting story, but there are large parts of the film that just don't make much sense or add anything to the story. It seemed like the movie was trying to associate Stander's motives with Nelson Mandela...
Likely to see
Not for me

Jinni is best for now in Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 and 8, and Chrome

Part of the page Copyright © Muze | New Releases by Tribune Media Services.

Copyright 2012 Jinni Inc.
jinni message message message
jinni
jinni

smart offbeat funny

In: movies

Copy and paste this link into an email or instant message:

Send this page by email