Displaying items by tag: Jacquline McKenzie

THE CONVERT

New Zealand, 2023, 119 minutes, Colour.

Guy Pearce, Tioreore Ngati-Melbourne, Antonio Te Maioha, Jacqueline McKenzie, Lawrence Makoare, Dean O'Gorman.

Directed by Lee Tamahori.

The Convert is a powerful film in itself, taking its audiences back into New Zealand, the 1830s. As such, it is a significant historical drama.

But, it takes its place in the trilogy of films over a period of 30 years by writer-director, Lee Tamahori. In 1995, he surprised audiences in New Zealand and around the world with a powerful drama of urban Maoris, violence, the consequences of colonial prejudices on people with powerful cultural and religious inheritance. In the title, there was a rueful tone in remembering past history, that they were Warriors. The second film in the trilogy, 2016, The Patriarch, Mahana, going back to the New Zealand in the 1960s, transition into the more modern era, from the strong tribal traditions into more settled situations. And, with The Convert, he goes back to the era when the Maori people were Warriors.

The film opens at sea, a vivid storm, death and funeral at sea, the atmosphere of travellers and the dangers of the period. On board is a lay minister, Thomas Munro, a fine and restrained performance from Guy Pearce. He is to be the preacher, organised by the British settlers on the West Coast of New Zealand, trying to establish something of England in the antipodes, formal clothes, church, stores, and a superior attitude towards the Maori peoples.

The film also introduces quite a fierce Maori leader and his tribe, some visual violence, and the belief that feuds are solved only by death rather than peace. This has an impact on Thomas Munro and the screenplay gradually reveals that he was a soldier, involved in fighting and killing and has turned his back on that.

While there is a picture of life in the early settlement the new settlers actually renting land from the Maoris the focus then turns on possibility of peace between the warring tribes, Munro trying to negotiate with each leader, a fierce battle between them, one mightily defeated, the other embracing peace (and stating acceptance of Christianity because of Munro’s work for peace).

The last part of the film takes place four years later, some presumptuous British officials trying to put order into the settlements, rent, Customs and Excise, business interests. And, in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, British governor for New Zealand, and the status for the Maoris.

There is a very strong supporting cast, all Maori performances and, as a woman shown by the white society for having lived with the Maoris, the presence of Jacqueline McKenzie.

1. The title, reference to Thomas Munro and his alliance with the Maori tribes? The tribal leader and his acceptance of Christianity because of the peace treaty?
2. The work of the writer-director, his trilogy about New Zealand, Maori traditions, violence and the later 20^th century, family in the mid-20^th century, this film in the 1830s? The Maori wars?
3. The cinematography, the opening in the mountains, the bird of prey swooping, the forest scenery, the sea, the coast and beaches, the new town and its buildings, the battle sites? The musical score?
4. The opening, the ship, 1830, sails, the storms and waves, the dead sailor, the ritual, Thomas Munro and his words? Coming ashore, the need for repairs, the rule of the Captain, the crew, the captain and his speaking the Maori language, communicating, the encounter with the chief and the tribe, the execution of the man, the saving of the woman?
5. Thomas Munro, quiet personality, lay preacher, arriving in the town, the contract to have him, the church building? The gradual revelation of his past, home life, in the Army, the narrative about the attack in the smoke, the deaths of the women and children, the school? His leaving the Army, changing his life? From London to the New Zealand settlement? Intentions for a ministry, the reality of what happened?
6. The settlement, the re-creation of life in England, formal clothes, hierarchy of officials, the church, the attitude towards the Maoris, renting the land? The holding of the dance, Munro going with the wife, her dresses? Daily life, church service, the Catholic storekeeper and his bitterness, wanting to return to Ireland?
7. Thomas, the young wife, her grief, her father and tribal customs, enmity towards the other tribe? Allowing Thomas to take her, the young man for protection? The young woman in the town, an eye on him, visiting him, the relationship? The night of the dance, the killing of the young man? The blaming of the shopkeeper, arrest, violence towards him, his hanging himself, allegedly?
8. Mrs Hegarty, her story, theft, but Botany Bay, marriage, New Zealand, with the Maoris, not accepted? Her healing skills? Helping the young woman to health? Treatment by the townspeople? The friendship with Thomas, the development of the relationship? Supporting Thomas and the battle, the dangers, her death?
9. The return of the ship, supplying of muskets, negotiating with each of the tribal leaders, the prices, playing off each other, the Captain shot, the members of the crew?
10. The buildup of the tensions between the two tribes, Thomas and his idea of peace, talking with each of the leaders, the Maori belief that feuds ended with deaths, the buildup to the confrontation, the violent fighting? The guns, target practice, the wife and her gun, using it? The strategies of the lesser tribe, preparation for the assault, the trenches, the attack? The leader and his being stranded on the beach, his death?
11. The possibilities for peace? The dangers for Thomas, with the wife, on the beach, his being willing to die? He is serving as a mediator?
12. The years passing, the settlement growing, the inhabitants, the arrival of the king’s representatives, the issue of rent, Customs and Excise, Thomas and his taking a stance for the Maoris?
13. The 1830s, the 1840 treaty of Waitangi? And subsequent history, colonialism, racial prejudices, the developments of the 20^th century?.

FORCE OF NATURE

Australia, 2024, 120 minutes, Colour.

Eric Bana, Anna Torv, Deborra-Lee Furness, Robin McLeavy, Sisi Stringer, Lucy Ansell, Jacqueline McKenzie, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Richard Roxburgh, Tony Briggs, Kenneth Radley, Archie Thomson, Ash Ricardo, Ingrid Torelli, Matilda May Pawsey.

Directed by Robert Connolly.

Novelist, Jane Harper, has had considerable success, critical and popular, with her detective stories featuring Federal Police investigator, Aaron Falk.

On screen, writer-director, Robert Connolly (Balibo, Blueback) directed Jane Harper’s novel, The Dry, popular with Australian audiences – and overseas. It introduced Eric Bana as the detective, in the desert outback of Northwestern Victoria, the complexities of life in the town, family relationships, murder.

While Force of Nature is advertised in the media as The Dry 2, that subtitle does not appear in this film at all. In fact, the temptation must have been to call this investigation The Wet or The Damp (not attractive marquee titles). Rather, there is the force of nature in the mountain terrains where the action takes place, filmed in the Otway Ranges, the Dandenongs just outside Melbourne, the Yarra Valley. And, the scenery is often beautiful, moments breathtaking, mountains, forests, valleys, creeks, waterfall.

The occasion for the action is one of those team-building retreats popular with some corporations. This time there is a focus on a group of women employees in an international company which, in fact, is under investigation by the Federal Police, donations to charities but also the funding of human trafficking, money-laundering… An the face of the company for the film is veteran, Richard Roxburgh.

However, it is his wife, played by Deborra Lee Furness, strong-minded, employing the women, testing them, leading them out into the mountains, wanting to bind them together. But, at the film’s opening, Aaron Falk receives a phone call from one of the team members, cut-off. The audience then sees some of the members of the group emerging from the bush, onto a road, hailing down traffic, but the revelation that one of the team is missing, the woman who made the phone call, Alice.

The screenplay for the film, by Robert Connolly, parallels the structure of novels, bringing one episode to a climax or moment of tension, then moving to another aspect of the story, then another, and back, developing the narrative, creating issues because this is a police investigation.

We are invited to concentrate on the women on their walk, their personalities (well developed for our understanding of them), bonding, clashes, getting lost, struggling in the dark, finding an abandoned hut (and the screenplay indicating a story of a serial killer in the bush 40 years earlier). While Jill, the leader, is a strong personality, the focus is on Alice, played by Anna Torv (reminding audiences that she can play dominating, tormented, sometimes self-doubting characters as in her award-winning performances in The Newsreader).

There is also the threat of plot with Alice, an informant to the Federal police, financial difficulties of her own, pressured to get information on the company, clashing with her close friend, Lauren, also on the trek, and their daughters both going to the same exclusive school. When Alice disappears, her friend spent a lot of time standing on the top of a fast waterfall, looking and hoping for her return.

But, keeping it all together is the investigation by Aaron Falk, Eric Bana once again an engaging screen presence, supported by a tough Jacqueline McKenzie as his partner. What enhances his presence is a stream of flashbacks to his boyhood, accompanying his enthusiastic bushwalking parents into the mountains, learning a great deal about bushcraft, the stars and directions, searching for his mother after an accident in the bush, standing in for in good contribution as the search for Alice proceeds.

As with all good mysteries and investigations, there are some unanticipated twists in the plot – but, the audience sporting a clue halfway through and wondering where it will lead, unexpectedly bringing the investigation to a satisfying conclusion.

1. The popularity of Jane Harper’s novels? The impact of the film version of The Dry? This story as a stand-alone story?
2. The title, the visualising of nature, mountain ranges, hills and valleys, treason paths, rivers and creeks, waterfalls, the seasons, rain, storms? The musical score?
3. A federal police investigation story, the role of Aaron Falk, audience knowledge of him from the previous film? Eric Bana and his screen presence and performance? The focus on him and his work, partnership with Carmen, no personal background story? The contrast with the back story of his childhood, his travels in the mountains and forests, drawing on his learning and experience, his father teaching him, the support of his mother, his mother lost, the accident, finding her, the rescue, hospital? His finally telling the story to Carmen? His background enabling him to help in the search to find Alice?
4. The corporate business story, the role of Alice, the desperate phone call from the mountains, her work in the company, stealing the money, paying for her daughter’s education at the privileged school, Aaron and Carmen and their hold over her, her filming the documents, the meetings with the two, her fears, resistance, the fact of the filming, the USB stick, her going on the retreat, the meeting with Daniel and the misinterpretation, his wanting the information from her, her dominating personality, bullying, disagreeing with people wanting her own way, hiding the USB stick? Her relationship with Lauren, the past, school, their daughters, the bullying, Lauren and the clash, Alice not apologising, the attack, Alice hitting her head, her death?
5. The retreat story, the company, Jill as leader, hiring Alice, keep an eye on the staff, hiring Bree and Beth, the retreat for team making and building, her personality, her relationship with her husband, suspicions about Alice, her role in the retreat, leadership and decisions?
6. Daniel, the company, charities, money-laundering? His presence, the meeting with Alice? Suspicions? Not wanting Jilll to talk to Aaron without a lawyer? Jill talking, their secret? His final confrontation with Aaron, the role of the police, Aaron and his hostility, and the final victory with the recovery the USB stick?
7. The intercutting of the women, the trek, the manager, his leadership, the information about the tracks, the flags on the trees, the nightly shelters and provisions? The portrait of the women, Jill and her leadership, Lauren and her experience, Alice and her domination, always quibbling, expectations, the two sisters, the revelation about Beth and the drugs, stealing from her sister, the revelation that her sister informed the police, Bree and her moving the body, thinking that Beth had killed her? The funnel-web attack? The women and their secrecy, Lauren standing at the waterfall waiting for Alice to come back? The two sisters, one thinking the other guilty? Jill and supplying information? The visualising of the fight, Jill being punched, Alice and her leaving, the revelation of the confrontation with Lauren, the phone call to Aaron? Her death? Her relationship with her daughter?
8. The intercutting of all the themes, the local police, traditional methods, finding Aaron intervening? His skills, connecting with the camp organiser, the story of the serial killer and his victims, the women finding the hut, the dog’s burial, the mound? Aaron, finding the hut, burial place, and consolation for the families of the victims of long ago?
9. The pieces all coming together, the business aspects and the USB stick and the federal police investigating Daniel in the company? Lauren and her fall over the waterfall, Aaron rescuing her? Taken into custody? Her future? The two sisters and the reconciliation? The two daughters and their future?
10. A satisfying blend of a variety of themes and stories and strong delineation of characters?