Cold Harbour

It is such a charge when you begin watching a movie with no expectations, save that it is hopefully half-decent, and then it winds up pretty much kicking your ass. Well, I am just tickled periwinkle to report that such is the case with the 2013 South African crime thriller "Cold Harbour".

Writer and Director Carey McKenzie has made the absolute most out of a minimal budget, on location shooting entirely in Cape Town and a cast so unfamiliar (to American audiences, at any rate) that they don't even register as "no name". And so what? McKenzie takes an involving story about ALBACORE SEAFOOD SMUGGLING of all things for crissakes, a handful of genuinely admirable performances (Tony Kgoroge as the lead is a riveting revelation here) and some slick rapid-fire editing, mixes them all together, and serves us a consistently engaging entertainment feast from start to finish.

And speaking of that finish, you'd best not anticipate being provided the proverbial bow with which to wrap things up all nice, neat and tidy like, that's for damn sure. In fact, the takeaway message we are left to ponder may best be encapsulated thusly, "We're gonna leave it up to you, kind viewer, to provide the answer to this enduring question.........'What price justice?'"