Mahana (2016)

I see this movie has been given a bit of a drubbing by many critics. This is somewhat confusing for while it may not be "Gone with the Wind" or "Citizen Kane", it is a far, far better movie than a great many movies that have been reviewed far more favourably.First up I would like to give a HUGE vote of thanks for a movie that shows the Maori people in a positive light, this must be a first. I am fed up to the back teeth with movies that show the gangs and the violence, not that these do not exist in any race, but enough already, we get the picture. What we badly need are some positive role models to aspire to and this movie is a step in the right direction. So bravo for that. Not that Mahana is a "Maori" movie as such, for while the main characters are indeed Maori they could be any race or any mixture of races, they are simply people in a particular time and place, struggling like everyone else. This movie has been described by some as a "pot boiler" and a "melodrama", rather unfairly I feel. I have seen a few potboilers in my time and this isn't one of them. And while there are a number of scenes that are overly sentimental or just plain unbelievable (the opening car chase and the horse in the cinema, for instance) in the overall sweep of the movie I think these are acceptable without rendering the entire movie a "melodrama". Personally I would say that Tamihori/Morrison's "Once were Warriors" is just as, if not more, melodramatic than "Mahana", yet ironically it didn't get branded as such because it was a "serious" movie with "serious" themes, whereas Mahana is "just" a story and doesn't get off so lightly.As stories go it is a relatively simple one, not unlike "Warriors" in some respects since Temuera Morrison virtually reprises Jake the Muss. The acting is superb all round, and the cinematography breathtaking so full marks for technical aspects.Seeing "Mahana" may not have changed my life but then again very few films have. But I enjoyed this movie far more than I expected and felt better for having seen it, so what more can you ask?

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.

In 1994 relatively unknown New Zealand based director Lee Tamahori made Once Were Warriors.A haunting drama centred around a group of native Maori's, Once Were Warriors is one of New Zealand's most respected films and set Tamahori into a career in Hollywood were he went on to direct a group of relatively forgettable films such as Die Another Day and The Edge, but after 20 plus years plying his trade in the land of dreams and big budgets, Tamahori has returned to the beautiful shores of his homeland to helm quiet family drama Mahana, that in turn reteams him with his Warriors breakout star Temuera Morrison.Here playing the Mahana family matriarch, the Mahana's a group of farmers in 1960's New Zealand, Morrison still cuts an imposing figure but like the film itself, his granddaddy Mahana just isn't as fully formed and memorable as Mahana the film could've so easily been and while this handsomely crafted drama attempts the epic, this is more middle of the range than Tamahori's home country return would've initially seemed to be on paper.All the hallmarks of a captivating family drama are here, from the young teenage centrepiece Simeon, here played by Akuhata Keefe who doesn't exactly engage to the level needed, the 1960's settings, family mysteries and tensions between rival farming families but Mahana always feels like a glass half-full experience and while there's emotional material at the core of this tale, Tamahori and his cast can't make the audience commit to proceedings like Once Were Warriors so easily did.One thing that is for sure however is that Mahana absolutely looks stunning, it'd certainly take a fair effort to make the natural surrounds of New Zealand look anything but wondrous but Tamahori is clearly relishing the chance to get back on home soil and showcase the vast and plenteous lands of this magical country and the 60's time period allows things to look even more appealing as the audience is transported back to a time and place where nature was still king.Final Say – It's great to see Tamahori back home and once more working with the underrated Morrison and it's especially nice to see Tamahori step away from forgettable Hollywood actioners but while Mahana has all the elements of a potential new classic NZ based drama you can't help but feel this 90 minute film is just a slight cut above a made for TV experience that could've benefited greatly from a tighter script and a sharper execution, even if the backdrop of New Zealand makes for a constantly eye-capturing tale, just not one that captures the heart.3 interrupted cinema screenings out of 5

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.