Here’s an archive of capsule reviews on films previously available on Māori+.
Donnie Darko
WATCH ON MĀORI+The film that put Jake Gyllenhaal on the map—and disgusting rabbit costumes in fashion during Halloween—this psychological thriller broke minds back in 2001. Gyllenhaal plays a teenage loner plagued by strange visions that may or may not touch on the supernatural.
Free from the internet’s unstoppable ability to spoil things within a week of release, Donnie Darko became the kind of engrossing oddity that drove audiences to talk about it feverously, ascending it to cult status. It made for a remarkable feature debut from Richard Kelly who, sadly, could not keep that quality going, following up with double-duds Southland Tales and The Box—which is letter B in the A-Z of Trash.
The Father
WATCH ON MĀORI+The great Anthony Hopkins claimed another Oscar for his stirring performance in this inventive, haunting film as an elderly man whose refusal for assistance has him questioning the intentions of those closest to him, including his daughter played by the brilliant Olivia Colman.
Filmmaker Florian Zeller essentially upsizes his own stage play, which he’s adapting, through careful editing choices and crafty use of space to cinematically put the audience in the lead character’s position. These choices aren’t immediately evident, but as this hugely affecting film continues, the more Zeller’s techniques grip you, binding the audience to a frightening interpretation of fractured reality that doubles as a beg for empathy towards those in similar states of mind.
The Last Wave
WATCH ON MĀORI+This certified 1977 Australian classic stars three-time Golden Globe winner Richard Chamberlain as a young Sydney-based lawyer who must defend a group of Indigenous men accused of killing another Indigenous man. The case sends him on a journey through Aboriginal history and his own nightmarish visions, with fellow screen legend David Gulpilil playing spiritual guide to the attorney.
Writing for The Guardian, Luke Buckmaster says the film “has an unsettling surreal energy that seems to exist entirely in that moment, where something as ordinary as the weather becomes an instrument of terror and suspense. The title isn’t a reference to a movement or an era; it is something far more literal. The manner with which water seeps into the film – from storms to dreams to a finale almost end-of-the-world in its scale – creates its key recurring motif.”
The Mole Agent
WATCH ON MĀORI+A nominee for Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards, this Chilean film follows an 83-year-old man hired by a private investigator to covertly enter a retirement home and look for any signs of elderly abuse. What he finds might not be as sinister, but it warrants attention.
When I reviewed the film, I commented on how it “looked more like a fluffy mid-afternoon delight than a pressing observation on real-life matters. Amazingly, it’s both… With a retirement home full of vivid characters, some incredibly clean cinematography, and an impeccably tidy narrative, you’d be forgiven for thinking The Mole Agent wasn’t a documentary at all.”
Quo Vadis, Aida?
WATCH ON MĀORI+Nominated for Best International Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards, this incredibly challenging and masterfully tuned siege film relays the true story of a United Nations translator’s mad rush during the Bosnian genocide to get her husband and sons to safety from the invading Serbian army. They are but a few of the hundreds of people holding up in a supposed safe zone, desperately waiting for the UN to make a move.
One of the rare titles to be certified fresh at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s an experience that simply cannot be forgotten. The filmmakers constantly flood the frame with people, an ever-present reminder of the weight of genocide pressing down on our central characters, while Jasna Đuričić matches that power with an incredibly composed performance that blends desperation with determination.
