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Gangland: Ice Cold Killers (Alaska)
Crips & Bloods: Made In America
The Obama Deception (DVD)
Once Were Warriors
Beyond Paradise
A relocated California teen (Roy Newton) faces rampant anti-white sentiment
in this interesting `coming of age' drama set in the island paradise of
Hawaii. The acting is fair and the drama often forced, as the well-meaning
lad struggles to fit into a culture where local islanders view mainlanders
as a threat and respond with aggression. This isn't the Hawaii my travel
agent pitched.
This uneven effort, written and directed by first-timer David L. Cunningham,
is laudable in attempt and tone but suffers from the constrictions of budget
and experience. By the final reel, all the characters have either failed or
suffered and there are no clear resolutions, except those espoused – all too
briefly -- by a native schoolteacher.
City Of God
Slumdog Millionaires
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik (Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India¹s "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"
But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show¹s questions.
Each chapter of Jamal¹s increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show¹s seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show?
When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out.
In a small New Zealand coastal village, Maori claim descent from Paikea, the Whale Rider. In every generation for more than 1000 years, a male heir born to the Chief succeeds to the title.
The time is now. The Chief's eldest son, Porourangi, fathers twins - a boy and a girl. But the boy and his mother die in childbirth. The surviving girl is named Pai.
Grief-stricken, her father leaves her to be raised by her grandparents. Koro, her grandfather who is the Chief, refuses to acknowledge Pai as the inheritor of the tradition and claims she is of no use to him. But her grandmother, Flowers, sees more than a broken line, she sees a child in desperate need of love.
And Koro learns to love the child. When Pai's father, Porourangi, now a feted international artist, returns home after twelve years, Koro hopes everything is resolved and Porourangi will to accept destiny and become his successor.
But Porourangi has no intention of becoming Chief. He has moved away from his people both physically and emotionally. After a bitter argument with Koro he leaves, suggesting to Pai that she come with him. She starts the journey but quickly returns, claiming her grandfather needs her.
Koro is blinded by prejudice and even Flowers cannot convince him that Pai is the natural heir. The old Chief is convinced that the tribe's misfortunes began at Pai's birth and calls for his people to bring their 12-year-old boys to him for training. He is certain that through a gruelling process of teaching the ancient chants, tribal lore and warrior techniques, the future leader of their tribe will be revealed to him.
Meanwhile, deep within the ocean, a massive herd of whales is responding, drawn towards Pai and their twin destinies.
When the whales become stranded on the beach, Koro is sure this signals an apocalyptic end to his tribe. Until one person prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the people. The Whale Rider. -- © Newmarket Capital Group
Sione's Wedding
Michael, Albert, Stanley and Sefa, first-generation Samoan New Zealanders, are in their early 30s but they still act like teenagers. Their rowdy antics have disrupted so many functions that, when Michael's kid brother, Sione, plans his wedding, he and the Minister demand that the quartet can only attend if they're accompanied by steady girlfriends.
Robbie Magasvia is a ladies man who likes them white and easy. Stanley,
(IAHETO AH HI), is a dreamer who uses phone chat lines to talk to girls but things never work out.
Sefa, (SHIMPAL LELISI), lives with his long-suffering girlfriend, Lelani, (TEUILA BLAKELY) but he often stays out all night and she's getting sick of it. Albert, (OSCAR KIGHTLEY), lives with his mother and is basically shy. He doesn't see that an office colleague, Tania, (MADELEINE SAMI), likes him.
When Albert's Mum invites his cousin, a Polynesian princess, (MARYJANE McKIBBIN-SCHWENKE), to stay with them, he thinks it's love; but when the Princess sees Michael, she has other ideas.
This is pretty familiar material made interesting mainly because it's set among members of the Polynesian community in Auckland. The actors enter into the spirit of things with enthusiasm, and a strong sense of place and character is established by director Chris Graham and writers James Griffin and Oscar Kightley. Kightley also plays potentially the most interesting member of the quartet, the introverted Albert.
There's probably nothing very new to be said about men behaving badly in whatever environment, and though SIONE'S WEDDING is moderately amusing, if you haven't seen the trailer which gives away all the best lines, it's not a particularly outstanding achievement.
