There are those movies that capture the moment, the magic, the zeitgeist and ‘Sweet Adventure’ the latest masterpiece from award winning filmmaker Peter Hamblin, who brought you Let’s Be Frank and Riss, is just one of those rare gems.
Now, the affable South African director brings us Sweet Adventure, starring Albee Layer, Matt Meola, Nora Vasconcellos and Selema Masekela. It’s classic Hamblin, bringing Hollywood flair and witty irreverence to the surf film.
Surf movies, for the most part, fall into distinct categories. There’s the part film, the documentary, the travel adventure, the biopic. Then there’s the Peter Hamblin way. Nothing is off the table. There’s a certain sprinkling of magic dust that’s hard to describe. It’s like turning the dial up to 11.
At its very core Sweet Adventure is a film about adventure but it’s about more than that, it’s about travel, and friendship, and great waves – it’s about the things we’ve been missing, the things that matter; all set in the great country of El Salvador.
Sweet Adventure wears its heart on its sleeve – it has the soul of a surf travel classic. While Endless Summer may be the landmark of the genre, for most people it’s the follow up that is imprinted on their grommet-hood. And it isn’t long before ES2 protagonists Pat O’Connell and Wingnut appear on screen – The Force clearly still strong with them, the timeless chemistry serving as a spirit animal to drive the film forward.
And it is all tied together by the grand all-seeing, all-knowing narrator – in this case Selema Masekela.
Combining jaw dropping surfing, stunning cinematography, secret spots, helicopters, bowl riding, new discoveries, good times and more, this must-see travelogue stirs the wanderlust, reignites the stoke and reminds us all of just what we’ve been missing – those good times shared with old friends in new places.
By Demi Taylor & Chris Nelson
