I have had "Whale Rider" on the shelf at home for quite some time without watching it. That happens many times with me since i feel that i sometimes have to have a certain mood to appreciate a certain movie. When i finally did see "Whale Rider" it was a mixed experience.
What first and foremost stood out in my opinion was the amazing lead actress. A 12-year old girl who expressed so much emotion and felt so genuine. A real gem to say the least. The acting part was generally solid all around. The trouble for me was rather in the script department. I understand what the director wanted to say with this movie. I'm just not sure he chose the right way to say it. Maybe it also has to do with my own expectations in this case. I was expecting something like a rather straight-forward drama when what we get is something bordering on a modern-day fairy-tale.
Parts of the movie are undoubtedly effective and at times it's touching. Much of the time though i had a really hard time relating to the characters and their problems. Which of course is a huge obstacle when watching a movie like this one, so much based on emotions.
It's not a bad movie, yet it failed to touch me the way i hoped it would. Watch it for the amazing acting of (then) 12-year old Keisha Castle-Hughes if nothing else. I rate it 6/10.
What first and foremost stood out in my opinion was the amazing lead actress. A 12-year old girl who expressed so much emotion and felt so genuine. A real gem to say the least. The acting part was generally solid all around. The trouble for me was rather in the script department. I understand what the director wanted to say with this movie. I'm just not sure he chose the right way to say it. Maybe it also has to do with my own expectations in this case. I was expecting something like a rather straight-forward drama when what we get is something bordering on a modern-day fairy-tale.
Parts of the movie are undoubtedly effective and at times it's touching. Much of the time though i had a really hard time relating to the characters and their problems. Which of course is a huge obstacle when watching a movie like this one, so much based on emotions.
It's not a bad movie, yet it failed to touch me the way i hoped it would. Watch it for the amazing acting of (then) 12-year old Keisha Castle-Hughes if nothing else. I rate it 6/10.