Writer/Director: Taika Waititi
Producers: Cliff Curtis, Ainsley Gardiner, Emanuel Michael
[In Australian cinemas August 26 through Transmission Films]
Having already overtaken Whale Rider as the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time, this hilarious tale of the underdog combines finely drawn characterisation with the understated humour of Beached As; the same classical composition and mesmirising child performances of Taika Waititi’s Oscar nominated short Two Cars, One Night (one of my favourite shorts of all time) and the quirky, indy sensibility of his first feature Eagle Versus Shark.
In my Q&A last night, writer/director and actor Waititi explained that his homage to the ’80s stemmed partly from his own childhood experience but also from a filmmaker’s desire to avoid the all-too-fast obsolecence of technology; opting instead for something that was “already daggy.”
A touching coming-of-age story of family, identity and national pride – in tight pants and fluorescent tights.
See the mashup here that saw a nationalistic anthem go to number three on the charts. Guaranteed to make you smile, moonwalk and/or twirl a poi.
