Wha Do Dem (2010)

Shot on the smallest of micro budgets, Wah Bo Dem is the result of two young friends, Ben Chase and Sam Fleischner who turned the fortune of winning a cruise trip round to Jamaica into a premise of one of the breakthrough indie hits of the summer.

As you can imagine the film is about a young man who wins a cruise to Jamaica, However having recently broken up with his girlfriend (played here by Norah Jones) our lead, Max decides to go it alone in what could be seen by many as the perfect break-up remedy, however surrounded by the young honey-moon couples and saga holiday makers he finds himself lonelier than he’d first imagined.  So when the ship docks in Jamaica, he’s off, on his own to explore and enjoy the local culture.

It’s not long though before he’s frolicing with local mystics, shaking his ass to some rambunctious dancehall music, and of course taking in some of the local intoxicants. However this search for local flavour, coupled with some rather overly trusting behaviour and daft decisions lead our young Max to be stranded without any clothes, money or passport as he watches his ride home sail into the distance. What’s that you smell? A coming of age road movie! Well you’d be correct.

As with most non-budget pieces like this a lot of the scenes are improvised and look almost documentary-like, so you can fully savour the fresh and honest feeling that comes out of it. This main detour some but leave others exhilarated. Filming took place during the recent Obama victory in the US and the reactions of the Jamaican locals makes Wah Bo Dem something a little more than a road movie, but a historical point of reference to one of the most defining moments of our time. In fact Fleischners film works as something of a love letter to the island, yes it doesn’t fail to show some of the nastier sides of the country, but what it shows in petty crime and poverty it outshines with a spirit of optimism and togetherness.

Director: Ben Chace & Sam Fleischner
Cast: Norah Jones, Sean Bones, Carl Bradshaw, Kevin Bowersdorf
Certificate: 15
DVD Special Features: Concert footage of The Congos, Scouting Jamaica video, Suckers music video, Deleted Scene, Big Boat Ride (short film), Video of Sean and Norah playing TurnThem at Franks
DVD Runtime: 76 minutes (approx.)
DVD RRP: £15.99
Release date: 8th November 2010

Patrick Gamble, Legal Support Staff