WHALE RIDER (2002) ***1/2 This is just an absolutely relentlessly intense film. Relentlessly intense. Niki Caro is a magician, I have no idea how you put something together this tightly, this loosely, anything like this without the entire thing collapsing inward, or outward. Lisa Gerrard's languid, hollow music; the shots of the whales [real and FX], the myths come to life, the sense of a people. And the actors! Just incredible, Keisha Castle-Hughes puts on one of the best ever performances by a young person in a film [the speech!!!] and she doesn't even stand out amongst this cast. Vicky Haughton, Rawiri Paratene, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, it's just impossible to believe that these people aren't related, aren't really the depictions on the screen. So much is communicated so silently. I guess I should just shut up, because I can't begin to say anything to do these performances any semblance of justice. I'm, ah'm, really really impressed. And imbalanced.no, more than usual, though. There is no aspect of this film that is not brilliantly realized.
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Reviews won't do it any more! I need sustained brilliance! I want to buy your novel!