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Truly Dreadful Film

Purely Joyful Movie!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

What makes for a successful life? What are people prepared to do to be accepted within what they perceive to be a successful life? To claim a life they think is of a better quality than what they are born to. Being of mixed blood, what makes one more or less of which lineage?We are taken into the lives of 3 feminine roles in Colonial NZ. One (Whirimako Black) is a childless old Crone, full blood Maori, who is unlawfully practising medicinal rites like those of a Tohunga, but in Midwifery - flouting The Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 which was intended to stop people using traditional Māori healing practices which had a spiritual element. Another, (Rachel House), middle-aged Mother ("half-caste") is living the life of a slave/servant to the third, (Antonia Prebble) the Maiden wife ("1/4 cast") an upper-class English-European wife. In their roles, which one is suffering most? Which one has given up the wild feminine? Which one is the slave? Which one is free? Who is living a successful and happy life? These are the questions that are tackled within the film. Little love is expressed between the 3, but cloaked in silence, the love runs deep regardless and the sacrifices made are proof of the love, albeit misguided and ultimately destructive.The cycle has come full circle since colonial days. Not belonging to either culture is often not acknowledged because we live in a world whereby we judge instantly, unconsciously, like judging a book by the cover. Once upon a time ... opposites attract. The racial divide is still running deep on our shores from all shades of brown & white, even though there are no full blooded EnglishKiwi or MaoriKiwi left among us.An interesting topic and subject to reflect upon Colonial NZ society. Many mixed marriages were openly accepted and the life of a settler was hard no matter what colour the skin. In the case of the film though, this is not ordinary settlers we are dealing with. This is rich elite English-European society and old time Maori.The most encompassing sentence was that of Rachel House when she spoke of not belonging to either culture.I liked the whimsical nature of the film, the romantic white horse, the dog, the art deco elements within the homestead, the silk and fires. I am going to find the novella by Witi Ihimaera - Medicine Woman, from Ask The Posts Of The House. John Psathas music was lovely as usual.

Who knew that New Zealand's Maori natives suffered the same hellish treatment dished out by the English Empire around the globe. This is another chapter of Western "civilization" the elites would prefer to have kept swept under the rug. It's a sad tale of gender, racial, andethnic prejudice and abuse. The director is young and inexperienced, but tries her hardest to convey original ideas in new ways. Her bravery in tackling such a delicate subject with honesty is unique. It's very difficult to be picky and compare techniques to Spielberg, and the Hollywood elite who had so much more to work with in their careers. I applaud this director, cast, and crew for doing a great job. If your idea of a great film is STAR WARS, you can pass this one quietly by. But if you're a curious person who enjoys history, politics, and deeply emotional situations in foreign cultures, you'll find this quite compelling and rewarding.

Despite the myopic comment referring to the title being inappropriate, it couldn't be more valid to the story line. A "White Lie" is a lie that is perceived as being harmless or trivial and told to avoid hurting another persons feelings. This is exactly the theme. It is a story set in the post-colonial period of New Zealand where cultural beliefs clashed heavily against one another. It was a time where necessity often meant that people would have to give up their identities in order survive in an environment that had very little opportunity (or compassion) for the native race that had suffered the typical injustices of colonialism. Against this backdrop is the story of a mother and her daughter who are trapped in a lie - a lie that separates them from their culture, as well as from each other. It is to a very sad extent that the mother drives her daughter to an impossible way of life all for the sake of blending in and the perception of wealth and well-being.An incident drives her mother back to her native roots to find a solution for her daughter - who is facing severe consequences, possibly fatal. From this point the mothers fears and lies are confronted.It is a slow, quiet but very emotional tale. The three main characters portray this emotion wonderfully.Admittedly, this may not be a tale for everyone, but it does try to convey the struggles that were undoubtedly common for this time period. And as such, the way the movie depicted a mothers love for her daughter and the extent she will go to give her what she thinks her daughter needs, suited the era it was set in.I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It was a pleasant surprise.

This film is based on a book by Witi Ihimaera called Medicine Woman. For some reason the title was changed to White Lies. Perhaps that was an attempt to inflame racial passions and get people interested enough to go and see it. I don't know, but I find the choice of title to be in highly questionable taste.But apart from that the best I can say for this film is it looks nice, as NZ films and television invariably does. It's not hard to make a nice looking film in NZ considering our scenery, but unfortunately it is used to hide a multitude of sins, such as a weak story and poor acting among others. The story in White Lies is interesting enough in its own way, but everything else lets it down and even the cinematography can't save it.The dialog sounded false and artificial and very few of the actors seemed at all professional. So much so that it was difficult to concentrate on the story, such was the poor quality of almost all of the actors involved. I am all for encouraging NZ film and television but that doesn't mean we MUST only use inexperienced locals surely?I'm sorry to hurt the feelings of anyone involved in this film. I'm sure you did your best and gave it your all, and I certainly wanted to love this film after enduring the dismal Top of the Lake, but I'm afraid I found White Lies to be just another in a long string of low quality Kiwi films. Please don't take it personally.Once again full marks for the cinematography and scenery, but low marks for all the rest. Better luck next time everyone.