​FILMS

the dark horse

The Dark Horse: (Drama): 77 out of 100: This highly acclaimed film from New Zealand stars Cliff Curtis as the troubled chess whiz who has just been released from a mental asylum and focuses his energy on leading a team of youngsters to the junior chess championships. Along the way there are emotional interactions with family that affect the way he acts and behaves. The story is based on the true story of little-known chess champion Genesis Potini who is portrayed by Curtis.

This is definitely a tour de force performance by Curtis who captures perfectly the torment his character is enduring. He is a solid character actor who has appeared in some US films and again, he demonstrates his considerable talents in this role. He is surrounded by a cast of capable actors including James Rolleston as his nephew and Wayne Hapi as his brother who is abusive towards his family members.

The abuse of family can also be witnessed in another New Zealand film called "Once Were Warriors" which was released in 1994. Even though there are some powerful images in "The Dark Horse", the story is not as tense, brutal and explosive as the 1994 masterpiece. "The Dark Horse" also suffers from an occasionally sedate pace which has too many noticeable hand-held close-ups interspersed with several slow motion scenes. However, the movie is well photographed with some beautiful scenic shots that build the atmosphere.

The chess championship scenes are fun to watch with some humour included to brighten the proceedings. If you are an avid chess player, you might be disappointed that there's not many shots of the pieces with the focus more on the players' faces. If you don't like chess, then the acting during these scenes will win you over.

Perhaps after a second viewing my opinion of this film might change for the better because there's quite a few layers to explore. There's the main character's issues with himself and his family, his desire to improve the lives of the children in his community, his knowledge of chess and the negative views held of him in his community. For now, it's not the masterpiece that many reviewers have judged it to be.

Starring Cliff Curtis and James Rolleston
(123 minutes)
Parental Advice: Coarse language, drug use, violence and adult themes
Additional scene during or after credits: No
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3YopiaQ3k8 (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Tuesday 18th November, 2014)