Mahana (2016)

Instant Favorite.

Fantastic!

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

From the author of "The Whale Rider", a tale of family rivalry and reconciliation, set against the stunning backdrop of rural New Zealand in the 1960s. Mahana is a film that i was expecting to be a good overall film especially with Temuera Morrison in it but in the end i was so disappointed with both the performances but the overall drama as well. The film wasn't what i was expecting a movie story about a family instead it was a boring film with a family doing their jobs and talking to each other over and over again. Some people might like this movie and i'm sure that some viewers won't agree with me but i was disappointed a lot with Mahana and it's potential for a great film went threw the window.

'The Patriarch' as a title tells us more about this fine family drama than "Mahana". Right from the opening, you know you're about to be entertained in grand style. The screenplay by Scottish writer John Collee seems to capture novelist Witi Ihimaera's characters with all their charismatic colour but, some unnecessarily crude story elements and predictable situations don't hold up all that well. Temura Morrisson's portrayal of Grandfather is at times a little disturbing in his sternness, bordering on the downright cruel and sets a powerful, if not frightening presence. All performers bring their roles as family members and town's folk to vivid life and the production design creates a powerful atmosphere. It's difficult to find words to do justice to the look of this movie – cinematographer Ginny Loane makes New Zealand's hills and valleys look like heaven on earth! Colourist, Set Decoration, Art Direction and Lighting Masters have infused external and internal settings with a haunting evocation of 50's – 60's moods. There's even a marvelous clip from the above-average 50's western '3.10 to Yuma' – complete with that haunting theme song in all its original arrangements - that I'm sure, would have been lifted right out of the writer's memories from the time. This is movie-making as it once was, real, involving, something many viewers could identify with. It's just a pity the last quarter was not as convincing as the beginning - still, Congratulations are due to those involved – think I might be looking at this one again.

Twenty years ago Lee Tamahori gave us one of the best films to come out of New Zealand with Once Were Warriors, an exploration of masculinity, violence, family and Maori pride. After flirting with big budget Hollywood action films like Along Came A Spider and the Bond adventure Die Another Day, etc, Tamahori returns home for this powerful, uplifting and moving drama set in rural New Zealand in the early 60s that shares a number of similar themes, although it is nowhere near as gritty or disturbing. Based on a novel written by Witi Ihimaera (Whale Rider), this drama centres around the Mahanas, a sheep farming family ruled over by their overbearing and brutal grandfather (Temuera Morrison). But Mahana is also a wonderful coming of age story as fourteen year old Simeon (newcomer Akuhata Keefe) begins to stand up to the grandfather and question some of his beliefs. The consequences of his defiance though lead to rift in the family but ultimately to a reconciliation and the revelation of some long hidden secrets about the truth behind the family's long running bitter feud with their neighbours, the Poata family. John Collee's script does contain the occasional cliché, but this is a superb and entertaining drama. The film looks gorgeous thanks to the widescreen cinematography of Ginny Loane (Shopping, etc) who captures stunning vistas of the windswept countryside and hilly terrain. Reunited with Tamahori, Morrison, best known for playing Jake the Muss in Once Were Warriors, has a fierce, commanding and intimidating screen presence that is put to good use here as the strict patriarch. In his first film role, newcomer Keefe is also a revelation with a strong and intelligent performance in the pivotal role of Simeon, who shows strength and the qualities of manhood demanded by his grandfather. Mahana (aka The Patriarch in some territories) is another winner from New Zealand, whose film industry continues to punch above its weight.

Mahana is exactly what I thought it would be, a testament to New Zealand's cinematic triumphs. It boasted both great acting and a plot that was easily followed by anyone. I loved the underlying Maori'ness of the story and the family dynamics the movie portrayed. There is always a head of the family who is string willed and stubborn. Temuera Morrisson truly came in to his own in his role as Grandfather Mahana, I was steadily reminded of his role as Jake The Muss in Once were warriors many years ago. Simeon Mahana(Akuhata Keefe) was the picture of perfection for his role in this movie he brought such honesty to his character and a truly a breath of fresh air.In turn Mahana was a splendid movie that drove my emotions from one end of the scale to the other I was truly engrossed in the film and every character seems to come alive through the great choices of casting.