CineCritic2517
With a sluggish pace, The Dark Horse revisits a tired old theme done many a time before but without any sense of direction or elaboration of plot.The core problems of the film are surely the lack of engaging characters and the absence of a convincing script and narrative. At no point did it become anything other than a brutal test of one's patience only serving drawn-out and repetitive scenes that failed to build up to some kind of climax or otherwise interesting turn of events.Aside from the annoying and undeveloped lead, no character is focused on, leaving nothing but walking/talking stereotypes one couldn't possibly relate to, dragging forward through mud, an already wafer thin plot.The positive reviews for this film here on IMDb are suspiciously disingenuous. Even though the acting was fine, a film with such a lack of hubris, originality and pace, can't possibly get more than 3 stars when judged fairly.Avoid..1/1
Carsten Wendler
I just had the chance to watch this movie at the Shanghai International Film Festival and I went in without knowing what I was getting into as the tickets were purchased for me and I was just tagging along.Well, it could not have gone better. As a German, I only have a vague knowledge about the social problems that New Zealand is facing but that didn't matter at all. The acting was outstanding to the extend that Cliff Curtis will be on my radar from now on. The movie was beautifully shot and felt very close to reality.The story, which is biographical, brought tears to my eyes.It revolves around an emotionally unstable Maori named Genesis who has spent a significant part of his life in a mental hospital and who happens to be somewhat of a chess genius. Genesis is granted the chance to leave the mental hospital under the condition that a family member will take care of him. His brother, who leads a vicious gang out in the New Zealand country site, as his last resort is more or less up for the duty and agrees to take him in. What Genesis lacks in social skill he makes up for with enthusiasm. Focused on staying positive to prevent another relapse, which would surely mean the end of his freedom, he joins a local chess club for troubled children and young adults. Genesis quickly breathes life into the club with his addictive enthusiasm and by being the living proof that you don't need a college degree to be smart.His character mesmerized me because he was simply modest, honest and wholehearted in an environment where people with these qualities don't really thrive. All and all, a truly memorable experience, even if you are not very familiar with the culture in New Zealand!
Mark Bellamy
Behind the beautiful cinematography, engaging and detailed performances, and deftly-paced editing is a master work of a screenplay. A wholly empathetic protagonist, with his wellbeing so delicately balanced, bombarded by obstacles. The stakes continue to rise, the subplots interweave seamlessly, with the whole story building to a perfectly weighted, moving, climax. Once filmmakers could be just "good" or "interesting" and pull a crowd to the cinema to see their kitchen-sink dramas. The new Golden Age of television has put paid to that. We get great storytelling and interesting ideas pushing boundaries all the time, delivered on-call to our living rooms. if filmmakers are not making blockbusters, or special effect laden sensual experiences, then the stories must be wonderful and totally captivating to get a crowd in the car and front up with the ticket price. There's no place to hide...This film is a great reminder of why there is still a place at the cinema for a low budget, domestic drama, they just need to be this good!
harril-586-26745
I'm a huge fan of Cliff Curtis which is the main reason I wanted to see this movie. Once again, as Genesis Potini, his portrayal of a real human being who shows love, conflict and courage in facing adversity, reveals the heart of this extraordinary man. Wayne Hapi as his brother Ariki, is an amazingly charismatic 'unknown' actor whose performance matches C.C's as a tough but tragic Father/brother/survivor trying to do his best for his son. Everyone involved in this movie has got to feel proud of their involvement in enlightening people to feel empathy towards this misunderstood world of gangs, psychosis and modern families. Amazingly, this often sad, bleak movie showed genuine hope and joy in being alive.
AD
