What is wah-wah?  Well we might ask.  We all know blah-blah.  So, why not wah-wah?

Ruby (Emily Watson), an American fish out of water in late 60s Swaziland, can’t understand a lot of the verbal mannerisms and is understandably irritated by the pompous British customs and rituals and lah-de-dah (there’s another one) idioms. She burst out with the righteousness of the annoyed, that it is all wah-wah-wah.

That is not the only key to this film but it serves as an introduction.  Don’t be put off by thinking the film is all wah-wah.  It is not.  And it is very interesting and enjoyable.  It was written and directed by actor Richard E. Grant and is his thinly disguised memoir of his mother and father and growing up in this colonial society where the local population are on the verge of national independence.

Grant clearly admires his father, although they had many very tense moments.  His mother was bored with life in Swaziland and began an affair with the husband of a friend and walked out on her son and husband – although she later tried to ingratiate herself back into the family.  In the meantime, his father, a decent enough but rather repressed educator takes to drink and sends his son to boarding school.  His alcoholism has quite devastating effects on himself.  His outbursts are vicious and violent.  And he later has no memory of them.

What helped the young boy (Ralph in the film) is his father’s marrying Ruby who provides friendship and support for him.  Ralph makes some sensible decisions for his father as well as finding his feet in theatre with the local production of Camelot for Princess Margaret’s visit for the declaration of independence.

There is a great deal on offer in Wah Wah, not simply the story of the boy and his family.  The colonial issues are to the fore, especially with the transition for Swazi nationals from servants to autonomy.  And there is a great deal of satire at the expense of the pompous Brits.

The cast is excellent.  Gabriel Byrne gives one of his best performances as the father.  Emily Watson is sympathetic as Ruby while Miranda Richardson is not as the mother.  Julie Walters is the friend whose husband betrays her and Celia Imrie is hoity toity (another interesting phrase) to the extreme.  She is the main perpetrator of wah-wah.

Nicholas Hoult has proven himself as a fine child actor in About a Boy and The Weather Man.  Much taller and ganglier (as is Richard E Grant still), he makes Ralph, his problems and dilemmas quite convincing.

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