The Patriarch review: Lee Tamahori returns to his homeland for this decent, though slightly overcooked family drama set in 1960s rural New Zealand.
The Patriarch review by Paul Heath, Berlin, 2016. Lee Tamahori, the New Zealand-born director who directed the superb We Were Warriors back in 1994, and then went to Hollywood to helm big-budget action films like Next with Nicolas Cage, xXx 2: The Next Level (aka State Of The Union), The Devil’s Double and even a James Bond film in Die Another Day, returns to his homeland for The Patriarch, a drama/western led by Temuera Morrison.
The film is set in rural New Zealand in the 1960s, based upon the novel by Whale Rider author Witi Ithimmaera‘s novel. Morrison’s character, Grandfather Tamihana Mahana, the mentioned patriarch in the title, leads a family of sheep-shearers and farmers living off the land. Amongst them is 14-year-old Simeon, a schoolboy intend on rebelling against grandfather Tamihana’s stubborn ways, something that eventually gets him into a lot of trouble. Intent on finding the reason behind the Mahana family’s bitter rivalry between them and local, fellow farmers, the Poatas, Simeon continues to chip away ah his grandfather’s patience, causing more than just a little friction among them.
The Patriarch kicks off with sweeping vistas of the the beautiful, unspoiled New Zealand country; rolling hills, lots of sheep and more than a little rain. Temuera Morrison’s commanding presence is front and centre from the off; the respected actor back in front of his We Were Warriors director’s lens for the first time since his stunning turn as Jake Heke in Tamahori’s feature debut. Careful not to duplicate his performance from that movie, Morrison dominates in character and performance; a superb turn from the actor. He’s supported by a wonderful local cast, including the newcomer Akuhata Keefe, who plays the pivotal role of Simeon, a character that Tamihana sees a lot of himself in. It is he who steps up to lead his family when his father, Joshua, breaks his leg following a rooftop accident.
As an experienced Hollywood action director, Tamahori manages to squeeze in a car chase at the beginning of the film as we’re introduced to both the Mahanas and the Poatas. As with some of his Hollywood fares, some scenes are cliched – CGI a little overused – the key scenes involving both rain and bees – and a little too soap opera in their execution.
However, the overall result is a reasonably enjoyable film. Tamahori and screenwriter John Collee employing the use of Maori dialect, without subtitles, is a welcome addition, and there is some superb cinematography from Ginny Loane, but ultimately The Patriarch could have been so much better should a slightly, more subtle approach been taken.
The Patriarch review by Paul Heath at the Beline Film Festival, 2016.
