Too Young To Be Grumpy

Last week my wife came into work with me and went off into Southampton to spend her Virgin Megastore vouchers (there's no Virgin Megastores nearer than that!) that she'd been given for her birthday in January, I think it was. When she came back and I asked what she'd got I was a bit concerned that her selection of a box-set of 3 "world cinema" films might not be entirely my cup of tea. We watched one of these - Whale Rider (imdb.com) - on this wondefully lazy holiday afternoon.

It's been over 20 months since I last used my Dolby Digital amplifier, and it's one of the reasons I've not watched so many films in the last year. It irks me that the sound quality is poor when I listen only through the TV. So I bothered today to slack a few wires across to the speakers. I'd been waiting until we decorated the room to lay them in properly, but decided to just put them up for now.

This certainly increased my enjoyment of the film. However, the film itself was very impressive. I really enjoyed it. It was by no-means your usual Hollywood no-brainer affair. It was romantic, beautiful and heart-warming. The film revolves around the coming together of Maori values and traditions and the pressure of modern life. The lead character, Paikea, was played perfectly by the incredibly talented Keisha Castle-Hughes, backed up by a great perfomance by Rawiri Paratene as Koro the old traditional grand-father.

I think what I liked most about this film was it's lack of pace and subtle direction. It took me away to a wonderfully photographic part of the world and into another culture, although somehow grounded with modern living. I always wanted to visit New Zealand, and this film has just strengthened that wish. The DVD is good too, with lots of interesting extras, and in a box set of 3 for £14.99, it's even better value.