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Came a Hot Friday
Set in post-war (1949) rural New Zealand, this film traces the efforts of two con men to run a betting scam in a small town (Tainuea) already rife with illegal gambling corruption, and eccentricity.
| Release : | 1985 |
| Rating : | 6.4 |
| Studio : | New Zealand National Film Unit, Shaker Run Productions, |
| Crew : | Director of Photography, Director, |
| Cast : | Peter Bland Michael Lawrence Marshall Napier Marise Wipani |
| Genre : | Drama Comedy |
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Reviews
Good concept, poorly executed.
Fresh and Exciting
Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
Fun, frenetic Kiwi comedy of two small-time con artists working their way through small-town 1940s New Zealand, on their way falling foul of a nasty piece of work whose schemes involve illegal gambling, moonshine, and an insurance scam which has caused the death of an elderly local. The con-men fall in with a local eccentric - a dream role for New Zealand much-loved comedian Billy T. James - "The Tainuia Kid", the greatest Maori Mexican bandito ever to have patrolled the Rio Grande... The film is full of believable small-town characters and provides cameo roles for many of New Zealand's top comic actors and - while not reaching the production standards of many of the country's more recent Big Movies - the New Zealand film industry can justifiably be proud of this gem. Occasionally dark, often hilarious, and constantly entertaining - make sure it does not slip below your radar.
This is an an enjoyable, pleasant, simple romp through the New Zealand country side and bush in the 1940s; Marshall Napier steals the show as the bad guy - Billy T James would have done, for his eccentric performance as the Tainui Kid, but you need subtitles to understand him. The script is crisp and has some great one-liners but some of the acting is a little on the amateur side and Ian Mune's direction, as always, lacks any real spark. The quality of the story lifts the film above that. Incidentally, for the benefit of a previous poster, Billy T James, as the Tainui kid, is a Maori, not an 'Aboriginal' which is not a socially respectable term anyway. Aborigines are found in Australia, a couple of thousand miles away.
When I wasn't clutching at my stomach or peering through tears in my eyes, all because I was laughing so hard, I was actually able to watch the film. What great fun! There are some classic moments that truly epitomize humor in the film industry. The New Zealand team that produced this film should be proud of such a silly accomplishment. Great film, lots of laughs. This is one that I will enjoy over and over!
Okay, it's not as successful as Hercules or Xena, Warrior Queen... But the NZ film industry can be justifiably proud of this production - it's a great laugh with the performance of the late Billy T James as the Kid stealing the show. Taniwha, dodgy bets, the bookie at the pub, listening to the TAB results on the National Programme - it couldn't have been made anywhere but NZ.
