Crooked Earth - 2001
Communicado Productions - 106 min.
DVD UPC # 9415600101025; 7502007773862
Cast: Temuera Morrison, Jaime Passier-Armstrong, Lawrence Makoare, Quinton Hita, Nancy Brunning, Sydney Jackson.
Screenplay: Greg McGee, Waihoroi Shortland; Cinematography: David Gribble; Music: James Hall; Editor: Chris Plummer; Production Design: Kai Hawkins; Producers: Robin Scholes, Peter Beilby, Henri Dorlet, Ernst Goldschmidt ; Director: Sam Pillsbury.
Captain Will Bastion , after a forced resignation from the Army, returns to Ruakura, for the first time in 18 years, to bury his father, the tribal chief whose mantle Will inherits. However Will is reluctant to fulfill the tradition and his younger brother, Kahu, is quite willing to seize the opportunity. To further complicate matters, Will's estranged 17-year-old daughter, Ripeka, has also arrived for the funeral. Unfortunately the film shows the result of too many writers (two primary, plus three secondary) in an unclear progression of events. Filmed primarily around the Coromandal penninsula, it is an attractive project with an excellent soundtrack. Worth a view.
Censor Rating: R13 - Review Rating: B-
