'Crooked Earth' is quite a good film, with some powerful scenes, but like so many New Zealand movies it is let down by an unfocused plot and some poor acting.
It's the story of soldier Will Bastion (Temuera Morrison) who returns to a small Coromandel town to bury his father, a tribal elder. While he was away his brother Kahu (Lawrence Mokoare) has created a lucrative dope industry and is leading a gang that is violently opposed to the proposed Treaty settlement with the Crown. It's a good set-up for a story that plays much like a Maori Western, but the plot is weakened because the movie trys to be too many things: action comedy, land rights debate, family saga, morality tale about responsibility, drug war thriller. There's also a romantic subplot which attempts to be about the issues facing Maori youth, but seems mainly to be there to provide a few jokes and show off some hot young bodies. To pull off all these things in one film would be a major achievement. 'Crooked Earth' doesn't do it - an example of how it loses it's impact by trying to be all things to everyone is in the portrayal of Kahu. He is a charismatic, ruthless fanatic - yet (minor spoiler warning) the ending seems to validate his choices.
The other major problem is the acting. Tem Morrison is typically strong, and Mokoare has great prescence, but too many of the other significant parts are damaged by amateurish actors. For example the actress playing Will Bastion's daughter seems to have been cast more for her beautiful figure and face than her acting ability.
However I shouldn't be too negative. There are some excellent scenes, a few very funny lines ('No sense letting a good feed of fish and chips go to waste as well') and the film looks beautiful. Several shots stay with you for a long time, such as people standing on top of a rugged mountain and a group of riders thundering over the hills. It's worth seeing if you don't expect another 'Once Were Warriors'.
It's the story of soldier Will Bastion (Temuera Morrison) who returns to a small Coromandel town to bury his father, a tribal elder. While he was away his brother Kahu (Lawrence Mokoare) has created a lucrative dope industry and is leading a gang that is violently opposed to the proposed Treaty settlement with the Crown. It's a good set-up for a story that plays much like a Maori Western, but the plot is weakened because the movie trys to be too many things: action comedy, land rights debate, family saga, morality tale about responsibility, drug war thriller. There's also a romantic subplot which attempts to be about the issues facing Maori youth, but seems mainly to be there to provide a few jokes and show off some hot young bodies. To pull off all these things in one film would be a major achievement. 'Crooked Earth' doesn't do it - an example of how it loses it's impact by trying to be all things to everyone is in the portrayal of Kahu. He is a charismatic, ruthless fanatic - yet (minor spoiler warning) the ending seems to validate his choices.
The other major problem is the acting. Tem Morrison is typically strong, and Mokoare has great prescence, but too many of the other significant parts are damaged by amateurish actors. For example the actress playing Will Bastion's daughter seems to have been cast more for her beautiful figure and face than her acting ability.
However I shouldn't be too negative. There are some excellent scenes, a few very funny lines ('No sense letting a good feed of fish and chips go to waste as well') and the film looks beautiful. Several shots stay with you for a long time, such as people standing on top of a rugged mountain and a group of riders thundering over the hills. It's worth seeing if you don't expect another 'Once Were Warriors'.