Monday, October 03, 2005

Kiwi Gothic

Just for a change, this post isn't about babies at all, mine or anyone else's.

The boy suggested we rent a DVD for Saturday night, and left it up to me to decide which movie to get. Knowing full well that, if we were both at the video shop, we'd end up renting either a car-chase thriller or heist movie, I took this opportunity to look out for a dense, dark ,foreign language movie. Luckily for him, I didn't see one I liked, but I did find In My Father's Den, which I've been wanting to see for ages.

It was bloody brilliant, and what I think is characteristic of pre-Whale Rider New Zealand cinema. This film reminds me a little of Vincent Ward's Vigil, with it's rural NZ setting and creepy atmosphere.

This guy, Paul,returns to his small-town South Island home after the death of his father, after seventeen years away as a war photographer. He befriends a teenage girl who may or may not be his daughter (Celia), and soon afterwards she goes missing. Did she run away to escape her pervy stepfather? Or did the stepfather do away with her? Everyone suspects Paul's relationship with Celia wasn't totally non-sexual, so he's the first person taken in for questioning.

And the great thing iss that the DVD is a 7 Day hire, which means that I can rewatch it to catch all the bits missed when I was busy changing Baby's nappies.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

yeah, great movie! did the boy approve of your choice?

Watson Woodworth said...

I really liked "The Year My Voice Broke" and "Flirting" about western Austrailia in the mid sixties, and "My American Cousin" a film about rural Canada also set in the sixties.
None of this has anything to do with New Zeeland, but I think I'd like to see some Kiwi films.

Geekery said...

I have to agree - bloody brilliant - best NZ movie I've ever seen, and with you having such good taste in movies, what does it matter what the boy thinks.....

glomgold said...

I've never heard of it; I wonder if it's even available around here. Actually I haven't heard of any of these movies except for 'Whale Rider' which I didn't see. I have been out of the movie loop for awhile apparently. Must play catch-up.

Violet said...

editter: he watched the first five minutes and returned to his computer games!

nigel: you should - if you like feelgood movies, try Whale Rider. If you like darker stuff, try this one or Once Were Warriors.

onscreen: It matters when it comes to trying to choose something we'd both like, but yes - I DO have great taste in movies...

glomgold: it's no blockbuster, though I think it did well in film festivals.

Casyn said...

I wasn't present for the dvd selection a few weeks ago which can result in some scary (as in crap not boogity) movies being hired. I admit that I was sceptical about In My father's Den, but am very glad I stuck with it. It's a wonderful, meandering drama/mystery. Well worth ignoring computer games for!