I had some trepidation about it - mental illness and some Maori themes had been explored in excellent "The Insatiable Moon" - and the opening with film-effects rain didn't inspire.
However, a little further in and the film grabbed you by the throat and didn't let go. There are some very intense scenes and some things that are hard to watch though the violence is mostly off-screen. Chris Curtis delivers a truly stunning Genesis - an acting tour-de-force that just has to be seen. Telling his history to Mana up on the monument was a sight to behold - as well as his occasional slips out of the sane world. I know a few bipolars and it was very convincing.
While Curtis carries much of the film, he is very well supported by James Rolleston who has grown up since "Boy", Kirk Torrence, Hapi and the ensemble of kids. Te Hira's malevolence is also important to the script.
The script was brilliant. I thought Mana's attraction to Genesis was a little under-written but everything else came together in a very satisfying way. The linking of chess to warrior tradition and identification with family/tribe was inspired. I wonder if the real Genesis did this - it was certainly convincing as a way to touch these kids. Some excellent sets.
All in all, not one to be missed. The setting and culture are obviously very familiar to NZers, but I cant see why overseas audiences wouldn't enjoy it. The themes are pretty universal.
