Whenever you get veteran stars on the level of John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush in leading roles on screen, attention must be paid.
This teaming, and opportunity for Lithgow (79) and Rush (73) in an industry that doesn’t often offer this kind of chance for its veteran stars. is rare. But in director James Ashcroft’s creepy nursing home drama The Rule of Jenny Pen they get one and go for it with no brakes applied. It is deliriously delicious to watch, if sometimes difficult to digest.
Actually, it is almost impossible to see this film and not compare it to the swath of horror films offered to veteran golden age stars, well past their prime, in the 1960s with everything from Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte to Lady in a Cage, Dead Ringer, What’s The Matter With Helen? and on and on. But the movie that comes firmly to mind...
This teaming, and opportunity for Lithgow (79) and Rush (73) in an industry that doesn’t often offer this kind of chance for its veteran stars. is rare. But in director James Ashcroft’s creepy nursing home drama The Rule of Jenny Pen they get one and go for it with no brakes applied. It is deliriously delicious to watch, if sometimes difficult to digest.
Actually, it is almost impossible to see this film and not compare it to the swath of horror films offered to veteran golden age stars, well past their prime, in the 1960s with everything from Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte to Lady in a Cage, Dead Ringer, What’s The Matter With Helen? and on and on. But the movie that comes firmly to mind...
- 3/6/2025
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
“Don’t Talk!” – Alamo Drafthouse PSA with ‘The Rule of Jenny Pen’ Stars John Lithgow & Geoffrey Rush
How often have you wanted to turn to a rude movie patron and yell “Will you shut the fuck up?”
John Lithgow does just that to his The Rule of Jenny Pen co-star Geoffrey Rush in a PSA for Alamo Drafthouse.
In the humorous clip below, Lithgow performs Shakespeare’s Richard II while Rush is a nuance to society who can’t stay off his phone in the theater.
Praised by Stephen King as “one of the best movies I’ve seen this year,” The Rule of Jenny Pen hits theaters this weekend from IFC Films.
A former judge (Rush), confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body, must stop an elderly psychopath (Lithgow) who employs a child’s puppet to abuse the home’s residents with deadly consequences.
George Henare, Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainbury, and Ian Mune round out the cast.
The New Zealand production...
John Lithgow does just that to his The Rule of Jenny Pen co-star Geoffrey Rush in a PSA for Alamo Drafthouse.
In the humorous clip below, Lithgow performs Shakespeare’s Richard II while Rush is a nuance to society who can’t stay off his phone in the theater.
Praised by Stephen King as “one of the best movies I’ve seen this year,” The Rule of Jenny Pen hits theaters this weekend from IFC Films.
A former judge (Rush), confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body, must stop an elderly psychopath (Lithgow) who employs a child’s puppet to abuse the home’s residents with deadly consequences.
George Henare, Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainbury, and Ian Mune round out the cast.
The New Zealand production...
- 3/6/2025
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
You probably don't have "Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow going at each other's throats" on your 2025 Bingo card. It's worthy of note how, even though Lithgow is the villain in their new thriller The Rule of Jenny Pen, he gets top billing over Rush, an Oscar-winner from The King's Speech. It's a film that relishes its villainy, and Lithgow is riding hot after his standout — and also villainous — turn in Edward Berger's red-hot feature, Conclave. Lithgow remains very much in the news after being cast as the iconic Dumbledore character in the new and highly anticipated Harry Potter series (and being a funny part of the recent 97th Academy Awards telecast).
It's also noteworthy that Lithgow, very much an American performer, dons a flawless English accent in his new horror-thriller from IFC Films and Shudder. Meanwhile, don't sleep on the reliably committed Geoffrey Rush here, aka "Barbosa" to the...
It's also noteworthy that Lithgow, very much an American performer, dons a flawless English accent in his new horror-thriller from IFC Films and Shudder. Meanwhile, don't sleep on the reliably committed Geoffrey Rush here, aka "Barbosa" to the...
- 3/3/2025
- by Will Sayre
- MovieWeb
The namesake for James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen is a creepy hand puppet. Her eye sockets are empty, turning what’s otherwise a nondescript, cherubic face into something sinister. Adored by Dave Crealey (John Lithgow), she’s part of a therapy program in an elder care facility, but the therapy isn’t working, what with the man incorporating the doll into the physical and sexual abuse that he visits upon the other residents.
A more conventional film might have suggested haunted goings-on, obfuscating where Dave ends and Jenny Pen begins. But Ashcroft’s thriller, which he and co-writer Eli Kent adapted from Owen Marshall’s short story, is all Dave, and Lithgow is phenomenal as the aging psychopath. Throughout, the actor’s body language exudes violent entitlement whether Dave is greedily hunched over his mealtime sludge or yanking on a man’s catheter.
Though he’s at the opposite end of life,...
A more conventional film might have suggested haunted goings-on, obfuscating where Dave ends and Jenny Pen begins. But Ashcroft’s thriller, which he and co-writer Eli Kent adapted from Owen Marshall’s short story, is all Dave, and Lithgow is phenomenal as the aging psychopath. Throughout, the actor’s body language exudes violent entitlement whether Dave is greedily hunched over his mealtime sludge or yanking on a man’s catheter.
Though he’s at the opposite end of life,...
- 3/3/2025
- by Steven Scaife
- Slant Magazine
We all get what’s coming in the end with the official poster for The Rule of Jenny Pen.
Praised by Stephen King as “one of the best movies I’ve seen this year,” the film hits theaters on March 7 from IFC Films and will stream on Shudder later this year.
Geoffrey Rush stars as a former judge, confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body,who must stop an elderly psychopath, played by John Lithgow, who employs a child’s puppet to abuse the home’s residents with deadly consequences.
George Henare, Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainbury, and Ian Mune round out the cast.
The New Zealand production directed by James Ashcroft from a script he co-wrote with Eli Kent, based on the short story of the same name by Owen Marshall. The three creatives previously collaborated on Coming Home in the Dark.
Keep an eye...
Praised by Stephen King as “one of the best movies I’ve seen this year,” the film hits theaters on March 7 from IFC Films and will stream on Shudder later this year.
Geoffrey Rush stars as a former judge, confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body,who must stop an elderly psychopath, played by John Lithgow, who employs a child’s puppet to abuse the home’s residents with deadly consequences.
George Henare, Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainbury, and Ian Mune round out the cast.
The New Zealand production directed by James Ashcroft from a script he co-wrote with Eli Kent, based on the short story of the same name by Owen Marshall. The three creatives previously collaborated on Coming Home in the Dark.
Keep an eye...
- 2/12/2025
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
This March looks to be another good month for horror, with the theatrical releases of the sci-fi horror thriller Ash and the horror comedy Death of a Unicorn. Also joining the March lineup is the horror flick The Rule of Jenny Pen, and IFC Films has released a new teaser trailer to get people talking and excited about the upcoming movie.
Coming from IFC Films and Shudder, The Rule of Jenny Pen premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, in September 2024, and was later screened at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain in October of that year. Now, it's about to be available for a wider audience with its U.S. theatrical release on Friday, March 7, 2025. Like many other movies, it's based on another piece of work. It's a feature adaptation of New Zealand author Owen Marshall's short story of the same name.
James Ashcroft co-wrote the screenplay with...
Coming from IFC Films and Shudder, The Rule of Jenny Pen premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, in September 2024, and was later screened at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain in October of that year. Now, it's about to be available for a wider audience with its U.S. theatrical release on Friday, March 7, 2025. Like many other movies, it's based on another piece of work. It's a feature adaptation of New Zealand author Owen Marshall's short story of the same name.
James Ashcroft co-wrote the screenplay with...
- 2/3/2025
- by Crystal George
- 1428 Elm
‘The Rule of Jenny Pen’ is a 2024 horror film directed by James Ashcroft, based on a short story by Owen Marshall. The movie stars Geoffrey Rush as Judge Stefan Mortensen, who suffers a stroke and is forced to live in a retirement home, where he faces terror from John Lithgow’s character, Dave Crealy.
Crealy uses a dementia doll, Jenny Pen, to torment the residents, and when Mortensen’s complaints go ignored, he decides to stop Crealy’s cruelty himself. The film features a strong supporting cast, including Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainbury, and Ian Mune.
The movie already premiered during Fantastic Fest on 19 September, but the Shudder premiere will arrive later in 2025.
ScreenRant revealed a new exclusive image from the movie that shows the puppet, a bald baby doll with glowing eyes.
Source
In the upcoming film, the creepy puppet plays a big role, but the story also explores deeper themes,...
Crealy uses a dementia doll, Jenny Pen, to torment the residents, and when Mortensen’s complaints go ignored, he decides to stop Crealy’s cruelty himself. The film features a strong supporting cast, including Nathaniel Lees, Thomas Sainbury, and Ian Mune.
The movie already premiered during Fantastic Fest on 19 September, but the Shudder premiere will arrive later in 2025.
ScreenRant revealed a new exclusive image from the movie that shows the puppet, a bald baby doll with glowing eyes.
Source
In the upcoming film, the creepy puppet plays a big role, but the story also explores deeper themes,...
- 12/23/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
Stephen King calls out an upcoming horror movie as stellar. King is a prolific author within the horror genre, whose works have been developed into countless iconic films, including Carrie, The Shining, and It. Another King adaptation is coming soon with the Mike Flanagan-directed movie The Life of Chuck. One of King's more genre-bending works, The Life of Chuck has gotten great reviews thus far and won the coveted audience award at the Toronto Independent Film Festival earlier this month. In addition to this film, other King adaptations in the works include The Long Walk and The Running Man.
Now, King takes to social media to sing the praises of an upcoming horror movie.
I watched one of the best movies I've seen this year. It's called The Rule Of Jenny Pen, and I urge you to watch it when it appears on Shudder. Geoffrey Rush stars, with John Lithgow...
Now, King takes to social media to sing the praises of an upcoming horror movie.
I watched one of the best movies I've seen this year. It's called The Rule Of Jenny Pen, and I urge you to watch it when it appears on Shudder. Geoffrey Rush stars, with John Lithgow...
- 9/25/2024
- by Hannah Gearan
- ScreenRant
The Matrix Revolutions gave Laurence Fishburne almost nothing to do as Morpheus, but there was an easy fix to this problem. The hype for The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions was so high in 2003 that it would have been nearly impossible for them to meet expectations. Even by that metric, both proved extremely divisive. Audiences were equal parts baffled and frustrated by The Matrix movie follow-ups, and even the ending of Revolutions felt somewhat anti-climatic. In retrospect, it's easier to see what the Wachowskis were attempting with the films.
Reloaded, in particular, is a subversion of the classic hero's journey, with the function of "The One" within the Matrix being revealed as just another system of control. Regardless, the sequels were both flawed experiences, with Revolutions underserving some major characters like Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and Morpheus. Fishburne was especially underused, with Morpheus essentially becoming co-pilot to Jada Pinkett Smith's...
Reloaded, in particular, is a subversion of the classic hero's journey, with the function of "The One" within the Matrix being revealed as just another system of control. Regardless, the sequels were both flawed experiences, with Revolutions underserving some major characters like Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and Morpheus. Fishburne was especially underused, with Morpheus essentially becoming co-pilot to Jada Pinkett Smith's...
- 3/12/2023
- by Padraig Cotter
- ScreenRant
Stars: Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees, Jay Laga’aia, Shavaughn Ruakere, John Tui | Written by John Argall | Directed by Kiel McNaughton
Imagine Taika Watiti directed a mash-up of Once Were Warriors, with a sprinkling of Kung Fu Hustle; then add a touch of Lock Stock, oh, and some WWE Raw and you have This movie!
I bloody love it when I’m right… You know when you see a trailer for a movie or a poster or even just the box for the movie, and you think man that looks and sounds so damn good?! So you spend some hard earned cash (well in this case fire off an email) and sit down to watch it, only to find that you have uncovered an absolute gem of a movie. That dear reader is The Legend of Baron To’a. An absolute joy of a movie that had me smiling from ear-to-ear all the...
Imagine Taika Watiti directed a mash-up of Once Were Warriors, with a sprinkling of Kung Fu Hustle; then add a touch of Lock Stock, oh, and some WWE Raw and you have This movie!
I bloody love it when I’m right… You know when you see a trailer for a movie or a poster or even just the box for the movie, and you think man that looks and sounds so damn good?! So you spend some hard earned cash (well in this case fire off an email) and sit down to watch it, only to find that you have uncovered an absolute gem of a movie. That dear reader is The Legend of Baron To’a. An absolute joy of a movie that had me smiling from ear-to-ear all the...
- 12/3/2020
- by Kevin Haldon
- Nerdly
In the social distancing era of Covid-19, Fantasia International Film Festival is coming online with a virtual edition taking place August 20th–September 2nd, and their final wave of programming includes a massive wave of films, a plethora of panels, and a masterclass and lifetime achievement award for the Master of Horror himself, John Carpenter.
To learn more, visit Fantasia's website and check out the full final wave announcement below:
6 August 2020 // Montreal, Quebec – The Fantasia Film Festival announces today a massive new assortment of feature films for its 24th edition, along with details on scheduled panels, talks, tributes, and special events.
Fantasia 2020 To Present A Lifetime Achievement Award To Filmmaker John Carpenter, Close With Kiwi Action Comedy The Legend Of Baron To’A
Johnnie To’s Chasing Dream, Vincent Paronnaud’s Hunted, Jorge Michel Grau’s Perdida, Daria Woszek’s Marygoround, and Tran Thanh Huy’s Rom are among...
To learn more, visit Fantasia's website and check out the full final wave announcement below:
6 August 2020 // Montreal, Quebec – The Fantasia Film Festival announces today a massive new assortment of feature films for its 24th edition, along with details on scheduled panels, talks, tributes, and special events.
Fantasia 2020 To Present A Lifetime Achievement Award To Filmmaker John Carpenter, Close With Kiwi Action Comedy The Legend Of Baron To’A
Johnnie To’s Chasing Dream, Vincent Paronnaud’s Hunted, Jorge Michel Grau’s Perdida, Daria Woszek’s Marygoround, and Tran Thanh Huy’s Rom are among...
- 8/6/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Halloween director John Carpenter is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming virtual Fantasia Film Festival.
Carpenter, who created Halloween's masked killer Michael Myers, will also conduct an online masterclass about a filmmaking career that includes The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing and Starman. As North America's largest genre film festival unveiled its final lineup, the New Zealand comedy The Legend of Baron To'a, by director Kiel McNaughton -- which blends pro wrestling and martial arts and stars Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees and Jay Laga’aia -- will close the 24th edition with a ...
Carpenter, who created Halloween's masked killer Michael Myers, will also conduct an online masterclass about a filmmaking career that includes The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing and Starman. As North America's largest genre film festival unveiled its final lineup, the New Zealand comedy The Legend of Baron To'a, by director Kiel McNaughton -- which blends pro wrestling and martial arts and stars Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees and Jay Laga’aia -- will close the 24th edition with a ...
Halloween director John Carpenter is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming virtual Fantasia Film Festival.
Carpenter, who created Halloween's masked killer Michael Myers, will also conduct an online masterclass about a filmmaking career that includes The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing and Starman. As North America's largest genre film festival unveiled its final lineup, the New Zealand comedy The Legend of Baron To'a, by director Kiel McNaughton -- which blends pro wrestling and martial arts and stars Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees and Jay Laga’aia -- will close the 24th edition with a ...
Carpenter, who created Halloween's masked killer Michael Myers, will also conduct an online masterclass about a filmmaking career that includes The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing and Starman. As North America's largest genre film festival unveiled its final lineup, the New Zealand comedy The Legend of Baron To'a, by director Kiel McNaughton -- which blends pro wrestling and martial arts and stars Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees and Jay Laga’aia -- will close the 24th edition with a ...
The writers over at Quiet Earth continue to amaze this reviewer with unique and interesting content; their latest unearthing is the New Zealand shot Ice. This environmental disaster film from director Nick Copus ("The Dead Zone") and English writer James Follett (Quiet Earth) envisions a world in an another looming ice age. Oil supplies have collapsed and the "Greenland Glacier" (Quiet) is melting, with dire consequences for those living across the world. Hundreds of feet of snow cover every major land mass and the film asks: "what will you do, where will you go to survive?" (Ice).
The film is set in the year 2020 and production on this film has recently completed. The distribution company Power will help facilitate Ice's move to theatres and other platforms, but a release date has not been announced for North America. However, a glorious two minute trailer can be found on the film below.
The film is set in the year 2020 and production on this film has recently completed. The distribution company Power will help facilitate Ice's move to theatres and other platforms, but a release date has not been announced for North America. However, a glorious two minute trailer can be found on the film below.
- 10/29/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Writers: Matthew Grainger, Jonathan King Directors: Peter Burger Cast: Jason Behr, Mia Blake, David Fane, Robbie Magasiva, Caroline Cheong, Michael Hurst, Nathaniel Lees Rating: R Studio: Sony Release Date: June 24, 2008 I really didn’t know how I felt about having to review a movie called The Tattooist. I’m not one of those people who think tattoos are bad. I’m also [...]Sharethis.addEntry({ title: "DVD Review: The Tattooist", url: "http://www.literaryillusions.com/LIreviews/2008/06/27/dvd-review-the-tattooist/" });...
- 6/28/2008
- by Dominick
Actors Sue for 'Lord of the Rings' Profits
Fifteen actors from The Lord of the Rings movies have filed suit against film studio New Line, accusing the company of a breach of contract over merchandising. The New Zealand actors filed court papers in Los Angeles Superior Court last Wednesday, alleging New Line broke an agreement to pay them five per cent of an estimated $100 million profits from merchandising sales, such as caps, games and mugs. The actors' lawyer Henry Gradstein said New Line took "gross participation" fees that the company wasn't entitled to. Gradstein says, "The expenses will always be approximately 104 per cent. It's Hollywood accounting." This is the latest of several lawsuits New Line have been served with in relation to the film adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien classic novels. In 2005, director Peter Jackson accused New Line of withholding profits from the first installment in the trilogy The Fellowship Of The Ring, while producer Saul Zaentz settled out of court with the firm over the rights to the books. According to industry newspaper Variety, the fifteen actors filing lawsuits are: Noel Appleby, Jed Brophy, Mark Ferguson, Ray Henwood, Bruce Hopkins, William Johnson, Nathaniel Lees, Sarah McLeod, Ian Mune, Paul Norell, Craig Parker, Robert Pollock, Martyn Sanderson, Peter Tait and Stephen Ure.
- 6/7/2007
- WENN
Samoan Wedding
Hawaii International Film Festival
HONOLULU -- Romantic comedy gets a masculine makeover in "Samoan Wedding", a local hit from New Zealand. With strategic handling by U.S. distributor Magnolia Pictures, the film should appeal to mature urban audiences and fans of world cinema.
Guided by veteran producer John Barnett ("Whale Rider") and released domestically in March as "Sione's Wedding," it broke New Zealand's opening-weekend boxoffice record on the strength of wide multicultural appeal. Stateside, "Wedding" could make a fair showing in limited release when it expands following a Nov. 11 release in Hawaii.
Best friends and first-generation Samoan New Zealanders Albert (Oscar Kightley), Stanley Iaheto Ah Hi), Michael Robbie Magasiva) and Sefa (Shimpal Lelisi) are 30-ish former members of the Duckrockers breakdancing crew who still haven't outgrown their protracted adolescence. "The Boys" are notorious throughout their close-knit Auckland Samoan community for trashing parties and disrupting wedding receptions with their drunken antics.
To ward off any further misbehavior at his upcoming nuptials, Michael's younger brother Sione (Pua Magasiva) prompts the local minister (Nathaniel Lees) to ban the four from the event. Disbelieving at first, then desperate to attend their best boy's wedding, the guys strike a deal: If each can find a legitimate date for the ceremony, he will be admitted.
With only a month left before the big day, each faces daunting dating challenges: Hunky bike messenger Michael is popular with his selected demographic of affluent white women but can't find anyone who considers him more than just a boy toy. Albert is too shy to even get a date and blind to the affections of his cute co-worker Tania (Madeleine Sami). Party-hearty Sefa thinks he's set with girlfriend Leilani (Teuila Blakely), but she's increasingly fed up with his irresponsible behavior. Meanwhile, Stanley (aka "Tyreeq") scams short-term hookups on a phone-chat line.
When Albert's mother (Ana Tuigamala) tries setting him up with distant cousin and Polynesian beauty Princess (Maryjane McKibbin-Schwenke), Michael becomes a rival after suddenly discovering the allure of Samoan women. Meanwhile, Leilani moves out on Sefa, signaling that the Boys are headed for a world of heartache on the road to reforming their ways.
Although endearingly acted as it deploys pointed sendups of male romantic foibles, the film only occasionally hits the heights of hilarity to which it aspires. First-time feature filmmaker and music video director Chris Graham capably modulates the tone between conventional and more outrageous comedy, assuring that the film's well-meaning humor is ultimately infectious, even if some important plot points remain neglected.
Culturally specific comic performances by central members of the ensemble cast were honed in the Naked Samoans theater group, but strongly accented dialogue could dull the delivery for American viewers.
Graham brings a snappy, polished style to the picture, en-hanced by Aaron Morton's crisp widescreen cinematography and Iain Aitken's locally flavored production design. A score featuring hip-hop and soul-inflected numbers, along with a selection of traditional Polynesian songs, tunefully anchors the story in its colorful cultural milieu.
SAMOAN WEDDING
Magnolia Pictures
A South Pacific Pictures presentation in association with the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ on Air, Village SkyCity Cinemas, Joseph P. Moodabe
Credits:
Director: Chris Graham
Screenwriters: James Griffin, Oscar Kightley
Producers: John Barnett, Chloe Smith
Executive producers: Paul Davis, Mark Horowitz
Director of photography: Aaron Morton
Production designer: Iain Aitken
Music: Andy Morton, Dawn Raid Entertainment
Costumes: Jane Holland
Editor: Paul Maxwell
Cast:
Albert: Oscar Kightley
Stanley: Iaheto Ah Hi
Sefa: Shimpal Lelisi
Michael: Robbie Magasiva
Sione: Pua Magasiva
Leilani: Teuila Blakely
Tania: Madeleine Sami
Princess: Maryjane McKibbin-Schwenke
Albert's Mom: Ana Tuigamala
Minister: Nathaniel Lees
Running time -- 97 minutes
No MPAA rating...
HONOLULU -- Romantic comedy gets a masculine makeover in "Samoan Wedding", a local hit from New Zealand. With strategic handling by U.S. distributor Magnolia Pictures, the film should appeal to mature urban audiences and fans of world cinema.
Guided by veteran producer John Barnett ("Whale Rider") and released domestically in March as "Sione's Wedding," it broke New Zealand's opening-weekend boxoffice record on the strength of wide multicultural appeal. Stateside, "Wedding" could make a fair showing in limited release when it expands following a Nov. 11 release in Hawaii.
Best friends and first-generation Samoan New Zealanders Albert (Oscar Kightley), Stanley Iaheto Ah Hi), Michael Robbie Magasiva) and Sefa (Shimpal Lelisi) are 30-ish former members of the Duckrockers breakdancing crew who still haven't outgrown their protracted adolescence. "The Boys" are notorious throughout their close-knit Auckland Samoan community for trashing parties and disrupting wedding receptions with their drunken antics.
To ward off any further misbehavior at his upcoming nuptials, Michael's younger brother Sione (Pua Magasiva) prompts the local minister (Nathaniel Lees) to ban the four from the event. Disbelieving at first, then desperate to attend their best boy's wedding, the guys strike a deal: If each can find a legitimate date for the ceremony, he will be admitted.
With only a month left before the big day, each faces daunting dating challenges: Hunky bike messenger Michael is popular with his selected demographic of affluent white women but can't find anyone who considers him more than just a boy toy. Albert is too shy to even get a date and blind to the affections of his cute co-worker Tania (Madeleine Sami). Party-hearty Sefa thinks he's set with girlfriend Leilani (Teuila Blakely), but she's increasingly fed up with his irresponsible behavior. Meanwhile, Stanley (aka "Tyreeq") scams short-term hookups on a phone-chat line.
When Albert's mother (Ana Tuigamala) tries setting him up with distant cousin and Polynesian beauty Princess (Maryjane McKibbin-Schwenke), Michael becomes a rival after suddenly discovering the allure of Samoan women. Meanwhile, Leilani moves out on Sefa, signaling that the Boys are headed for a world of heartache on the road to reforming their ways.
Although endearingly acted as it deploys pointed sendups of male romantic foibles, the film only occasionally hits the heights of hilarity to which it aspires. First-time feature filmmaker and music video director Chris Graham capably modulates the tone between conventional and more outrageous comedy, assuring that the film's well-meaning humor is ultimately infectious, even if some important plot points remain neglected.
Culturally specific comic performances by central members of the ensemble cast were honed in the Naked Samoans theater group, but strongly accented dialogue could dull the delivery for American viewers.
Graham brings a snappy, polished style to the picture, en-hanced by Aaron Morton's crisp widescreen cinematography and Iain Aitken's locally flavored production design. A score featuring hip-hop and soul-inflected numbers, along with a selection of traditional Polynesian songs, tunefully anchors the story in its colorful cultural milieu.
SAMOAN WEDDING
Magnolia Pictures
A South Pacific Pictures presentation in association with the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ on Air, Village SkyCity Cinemas, Joseph P. Moodabe
Credits:
Director: Chris Graham
Screenwriters: James Griffin, Oscar Kightley
Producers: John Barnett, Chloe Smith
Executive producers: Paul Davis, Mark Horowitz
Director of photography: Aaron Morton
Production designer: Iain Aitken
Music: Andy Morton, Dawn Raid Entertainment
Costumes: Jane Holland
Editor: Paul Maxwell
Cast:
Albert: Oscar Kightley
Stanley: Iaheto Ah Hi
Sefa: Shimpal Lelisi
Michael: Robbie Magasiva
Sione: Pua Magasiva
Leilani: Teuila Blakely
Tania: Madeleine Sami
Princess: Maryjane McKibbin-Schwenke
Albert's Mom: Ana Tuigamala
Minister: Nathaniel Lees
Running time -- 97 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 11/28/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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