Rating: C+
Mahana is the New Zealand film adapted from Witi Ihimaera’s novel Bulibasha: King of the Gypsies. Successful New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison plays Tamihana aka. the World’s Grumpiest Grandpa, who is the patriarch controlling literally every aspect of the Mahana family’s life. Young Simeon, played by the fresh-faced Akuhata Keefe, is a teenager who questions everything about his situation, and the reasoning behind his Grandfather’s sometimes extreme actions and authoritative stance.
The premise of the film was great, beginning with a family rivalry between the Mahanas and the Poatas established by a thrilling and pretty funny 1960s style drag race to a funeral. A small Romeo and Juliet sub plot between Simeon and Poppy (one of the Poata daughters) is developed, as well as random romances between other family members. On top of that, there is a shearing competition that is really important for some reason. Unfortunately, a seriously bad CGI younger version of Temuera Morrison really distracted from the harrowing story it was trying to tell, and ultimately let this film down. Beautiful shots of the Poverty Bay area and a wide range of age demographics did feel refreshing against the more clunky aspects of the film.
The film touches upon multiple issues between Maori and Pakeha relations during the 1960s, which remain embedded in society today. However, these themes did not resonate throughout the entire film and were added in as a sort of afterthought in random scenes that did not add to the over arching plot and thus were easily forgotten.