You just getting around to seeing this? We saw it early fall I think at the
Michigan in Ann Arbor. One of the best independant or mainstream films this
year. Your criticisms are a little overwrought when one looks at the budget
and location of the company. How you can say a lack of intimacy I don't
understand, I felt transported. I lived there, as a fly within their culture
and got insight to a life and region I have never experienced.
"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
No, this isn't a movie about riding Scotty's wife...

It's the tender story of a young Maori girl trying to prove that she can
be a
leader as her tribe faces a test of strength. Probably the worst failing
of
this film is it's lack of texture. While beautifully shot, the lack of
intimacy
between camera and settings lead to a postcard view of the territory.
Ultimately it lacks the hands-on feel achieved by a film like The Shipping
News
or even the 70's White Dawn.
Another great misstep is the partially synthesized score that meanders
through
much of the film, rendering an afterschool special feel to some key
moments and
making the whole affair overwrought.
The qualities of Whale Rider are more in the performances than the writing
or
story. The background of the people and culture is highly superficial. A
deeper
exploration of their world would have led to a more charged drama.
Finally, the
editing fails to serve the movie as a whole, undermining some key scenes
with a
pronounced lack of timing, both in the whale riding and stick-fight
sequences.
Still, this is a worthy Oscar entry and a notable effort that departs from
the
current oil slick of movies currently in release. The Captain's rating
***

Capt RB