The Dark Horse

Other reviewers have summed this film up very well, it is a remarkable story and I can also see if you are a Kiwi coming from the area it would have even much more of a significant impact.

However, let me just take a minute to reflect on the performance given by Cliff Curtis. He is such a versatile actor! Having played in many Hollywood hits and also lower budget Kiwi productions, he has the ability to transition from cool, calm characters to angry, stormy characters and now to a perfect portrayal of Genesis, the Dark Horse, who is "sick" but doing his very best to help troubled kids in his community. Curtis' acting in every one of his films is horrifyingly convincing and it is fair to say he will be robbed if he doesn't win an award for this role in particular. He played such a gentle, caring character all you could do was feel sympathy for his situation throughout the entire duration of the film.

I had the chance to see this film on the opening night of the 2014 New Zealand International Film Festival. The advance reviews from critics had been so unanimously high that I went in with pretty strong expectations, which can easily backfire when a film is unable to live up to the hype. I really thought that might be the case with this.

But, literally, from the first frame of this incredible film (which silenced everyone around me, it's such a stunning opening shot), I forgot all of that, and became completely utterly wonderfully immersed in the story and performances and everything that unraveled before my eyes over the next two hours.

The way that this film deals with chess, Maori mythology, mental illness, gangs, kids... and weaves them all together, is just so compelling. The way that it moves from tragedy to comedy, without it ever feeling forced... the performances from people that apparently have never acted before in their lives... It's really hard to believe and so impressive.

The reaction around me was also hard to believe. Throughout the film, people all over the theatre (myself included) were literally laughing, crying, applauding, gasping, cheering, weeping... And then at the end after the ENTIRE credits had rolled without anyone moving, there was a standing ovation from the ENTIRE audience - almost 2,500 people! Incredible. I haven't been part of something quite like that before.

The emotion of this film is so powerful, the craft on display is so strong, the directing, writing, acting, music, cinematography. Just sublime. I really was floored.

The person I attended with told me after wards they thought this could be the greatest NZ film they've ever seen. I recently heard the National Radio Review say a similar thing when they were reviewing it.

I would have to agree.

Simply stunning. 10/10.

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.

Behind the beautiful cinematography, engaging and detailed performances, and deftly-paced editing is a master work of a screenplay. A wholly empathetic protagonist, with his wellbeing so delicately balanced, bombarded by obstacles. The stakes continue to rise, the subplots interweave seamlessly, with the whole story building to a perfectly weighted, moving, climax.

Once filmmakers could be just "good" or "interesting" and pull a crowd to the cinema to see their kitchen-sink dramas. The new Golden Age of television has put paid to that. We get great storytelling and interesting ideas pushing boundaries all the time, delivered on-call to our living rooms. if filmmakers are not making blockbusters, or special effect laden sensual experiences, then the stories must be wonderful and totally captivating to get a crowd in the car and front up with the ticket price. There's no place to hide...

This film is a great reminder of why there is still a place at the cinema for a low budget, domestic drama, they just need to be this good!

This film easily ranks as one of the 3-4 greatest films to come out of New Zealand for me.

NZ film has produced some powerful drama over the years, particularly films like Whale Rider, Once Were Warriors and The Piano. IMO, The Dark Horse stands shoulder-to-shoulder with all those and actually exceeds them in some regards.

It's not an easy watch at times, there were moments I felt myself almost having to turn away from the screen... The tension is pretty relentless during periods, and I actually felt exhausted by the end.

But there was also plenty of genuine laugh out loud humour littered throughout, which balanced it all out nicely.

And boy was I glad for the experience. I actually had moments of not wanting to laugh because I was worried it would start me crying...! It was pointless... I ended up doing plenty of both in the end.

An instant NZ classic. Bravo to the filmmakers.