The Dark Horse

source: The Dark Horse

I have seen a few of the NZ films over my time. Once Were Warriors, Boy, Whale Rider, however The Dark Horse to me is the stand out film of New Zealand Cinema thus far. Congratulations to the actors, writers, camera crew. The subjects that are touched on in this film include Mental Illness, Depression, Poverty, Team Work, Leadership, Community Strength, Power of Community engagement in the lives of youth. The acting was so natural it pulls you into the story so well. Usually I turn to the chips or popcorn when I get bored in films but I just left my food alone throughout the whole movie. In fact I was more inclined to sneak a tissue or two to stop my eyes sweating(while my wife was not looking). The facial expressions of Cliff Curtis in key scenes speak a thousand words. Hope, Fear, Confusion etc. Now that is great acting!!! He probably wont get an Oscar for this but he is worthy of one. The story is greatly balanced without it getting too much into the dark or light. I found "Once Were Warriors" too dark and "Boy" too light on subject matter. The Dark Horse balances the drama well; you will laugh and you will cry. In this materialistic and fast paced world this film will touch your soul and probably make you think about your impact on the community and how we are quick to judge those caught in poverty and who suffer from mental illness. STaNDING OVATION IN MY LIVING ROOM (Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap) Thank you for making beautiful cinema, thank you Genesis for your positive impact in your community.

One of New Zealand's BEST actors, and one of the world's most talented. Cliff is totally convincing in any role, and I believe he is terribly under-appreciated. Hollywood needs to wake up and start looking around away from their little private club, and to realise that there are staggeringly talented actors out there who deserve top roles. Cliff Curtis has made me hate him and love him in his many guises, and is a true talent without the hype. What a superb portrayal of a character in this moving, yet heart-warming film. I knew nothing of this story and now I realise how much I missed, so Cliff has honoured the telling in a full and complete way. What a brilliant job.

Other reviewers have summed this film up very well, it is a remarkable story and I can also see if you are a Kiwi coming from the area it would have even much more of a significant impact. However, let me just take a minute to reflect on the performance given by Cliff Curtis. He is such a versatile actor! Having played in many Hollywood hits and also lower budget Kiwi productions, he has the ability to transition from cool, calm characters to angry, stormy characters and now to a perfect portrayal of Genesis, the Dark Horse, who is "sick" but doing his very best to help troubled kids in his community. Curtis' acting in every one of his films is horrifyingly convincing and it is fair to say he will be robbed if he doesn't win an award for this role in particular. He played such a gentle, caring character all you could do was feel sympathy for his situation throughout the entire duration of the film.

"For all the stories in New Zealand that are made into films, I would say it is one of those I call unique. It allows us to see a side of New Zealand that many would rarely see. Cliff Curtis' performance as chess master Genesis surprises me, in terms of physical shape, mental state and spiritual essence. It goes to show that even a man with a disability can make such an impact on helping social impaired children and adolescents. And James Rolleston who played his nephew shows he can surprise even himself by learned he is more worth than he thought. I won't give it a rating of 10/10 or a 100%. I will rate this like one of the film's quotes: A King for a King."

A New Zealand story, based on a true story, about a mentally ill chess genius, battling to keep himself together in his brutal surroundings. This was the type of film I had to stay in my seat for as long as possible after, to process what I'd seen and to re- commence breathing. The story is brilliantly told. While this story is an incredibly violent story, you see very little of the violence directly. Instead the heaviness of the world transfers directly from Genesis, the main character, to the audience. I'm not sure that I've seen a film that portrays a character struggling to have life with and beyond mental illness. Cliff Curtis' performance is incredible and is as worthy of critical acclaim as the best acting performances. James Rolleston is no one-trick pony from Boy. He's a very fine actor and I can't wait to see him in more. All of the supporting performances are good, but I would be remiss if I failed to mention Wayne Hapi in his first performance. His screen presence is powerful and enormous. Niwa Whatuira also does very well in his small, but intense role. The cinematography and direction are both subtle but incredibly powerful. Genesis' mental state, his tenderness, his strengths and his weaknesses are viscerally knotted into the audience's stomach and heart. I can't wait to see more from any of this ensemble.

I had some trepidation about it - mental illness and some Maori themes had been explored in excellent "The Insatiable Moon" - and the opening with film-effects rain didn't inspire. However, a little further in and the film grabbed you by the throat and didn't let go. There are some very intense scenes and some things that are hard to watch though the violence is mostly off-screen. Chris Curtis delivers a truly stunning Genesis - an acting tour-de-force that just has to be seen. Telling his history to Mana up on the monument was a sight to behold - as well as his occasional slips out of the sane world. I know a few bipolars and it was very convincing. While Curtis carries much of the film, he is very well supported by James Rolleston who has grown up since "Boy", Kirk Torrence, Hapi and the ensemble of kids. Te Hira's malevolence is also important to the script. The script was brilliant. I thought Mana's attraction to Genesis was a little under-written but everything else came together in a very satisfying way. The linking of chess to warrior tradition and identification with family/tribe was inspired. I wonder if the real Genesis did this - it was certainly convincing as a way to touch these kids. Some excellent sets. All in all, not one to be missed. The setting and culture are obviously very familiar to NZers, but I cant see why overseas audiences wouldn't enjoy it. The themes are pretty universal.

It took me a long time to find this movie. I was really excited when it arrived. It was nothing like I expected and it really disappointed me. I finished up switching it off half way through. I love chess and I loved the published story line. What I received was an ill thought out badly filmed amateur movie. It did not help that most of the dialogue was so badly recorded or spoken, not sure which, that you could not understand what was being said most of the time. If you are considering this movie, do not bother, our copy is going in the bin.

The Dark Horse is an extraordinary and dramatic New Zealand movie directed by James Napier Roberts and based on the real life of the brilliant chess champion Genesis Potini, who suffered bipolar disorder and spent the last few years in and out of a mental institution. The story opens showing Gen involved in his quilt in sunny shower day which represents part of his bipolar disorder and how he needs to protect himself and stay stable. The most impacting fact in this film is the way how Gen can see the real life through that game, because for him every piece represents a situation or person in his life. In that way, the institution created by him is like the chess table, where everyone and all movement has a reason and a significant result.

With a sluggish pace, The Dark Horse revisits a tired old theme done many a time before but without any sense of direction or elaboration of plot. The core problems of the film are surely the lack of engaging characters and the absence of a convincing script and narrative. At no point did it become anything other than a brutal test of one's patience only serving drawn-out and repetitive scenes that failed to build up to some kind of climax or otherwise interesting turn of events. Aside from the annoying and undeveloped lead, no character is focused on, leaving nothing but walking/talking stereotypes one couldn't possibly relate to, dragging forward through mud, an already wafer thin plot. The positive reviews for this film here on IMDb are suspiciously disingenuous. Even though the acting was fine, a film with such a lack of hubris, originality and pace, can't possibly get more than 3 stars when judged fairly. Avoid.. 1/1