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Reviews
Savior (1998)
A true war story
The quality of this film is not measured by it's oversights and errors but of the moments of brilliance. Dennis Quaid does seem to drift in and out of his best acting - who knows why - and some of the scenes are pure Hollywood convenience. But at other times the film is tight and suspense is built superbly without using dialogue. Oliver Stone is truly a master.
The truth in this film is so apparent that you get the feeling that this story could be superimposed onto any war in history. The immediate black and white moral decisions that people face in war are displayed clearly; if a mistake is made, you die, that's all there is to it; knowing when assistance cannot be given is a skill to be learned; and in the end you realise that people will do it all again, having learned nothing.
After toying briefly in the beginning with political world comment, this film steers clear of further judgements and side taking and moves skillfully along a path of a true people story.
Snakeskin (2001)
Completely Ridiculous
I'm getting tired of NZ films like this. They have poor stories, the scripted dialogue is ridiculous and they are badly acted. Six years on and this type of NZ film is still being made. How did the Australians make the giant leap into quality film and somehow the Kiwis are still fumbling around like a High School Play Group? This film reeks of the liberal ideas and attitudes that are coming to a close in NZ. The story is desperate to attack traditional NZ culture and values, yet instead of actually telling the truth -which would do it better- they present common ignorant liberal assumptions.
There is so much kitschy rubbish throughout it: scenes constructed from what the filmmaker must imagine rural NZ is like instead of what it actually is. It gives the impression that NZ culture is stuck on top of the people like a cheap plastic toy on the dashboard of a car. If you live in NZ or are familiar with it's people you'll laugh at some of the sanitised characterisations.
Why was it even necessary to drift off into sci-fi? Is the truth really that hard to face? Or is it because the filmmaker really had nothing to say outside of proclaiming they, personally, imagine themselves to be "badass."