Author: Alex Cole

Following the 2011 ‘comedy’ Goon: The Last of the Enforcers its only right that someone eventually made a documentary about the real enforcers of hockey, and that’s exactly what Brett Harvey has done with Ice Guardians. Ice Guardians is a pertinent documentary about the trials and tribulations of this often debated and controversial sporting figures. Watch as they cause destruction and violence on the ice, all in the name  of protection.

Not knowing an awful lot about Ice Hockey, despite enjoying  it thoroughly at the Olympics every four years, Ice Guardians appeared a little WORD at first glance, but Brett Harvey has done a fine job of giving the viewer enough build up and context that any layman of hockey can  enjoy this documentary. Using a combination of ex players, hockey fans and experts we’re given a full understanding of  the role of the enforcer but their importance in the sport. Incredibly interesting and fun Ice Guardians only suffers from being very very one sided in that it doesn’t really analyse the role of  enforcer as much as defend it but is rescued with fantastic editing and brilliantly interesting characters throughout.

The  timing of the music, historic shots and video footage all work together to create an enjoyable and at  the same time  eye  opening documentary on the world of  ice hockey and the often lambasted and mocked enforcer.Go on…have a watch!

A bitter tale of revenge, The Best of Intentions (Han som ville henne så väl) shows us the dark side of justice as a father confronts his disabled daughter’s carer, a man he suspects of sexual abuse.

As troubled child Ricky goes missing in the New Zealand bush, a manhunt begins. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the story of boy and his foster father stricken by disaster who ultimately decide life is better off the grid. Dressed for the dank city streets and with a love of Tupac, thirteen year  old Ricky is not your usual survivor. Yet when taken on by New Zealand’s most unlikely foster  couple, Ricky soon learns he has a place in this world and is reluctant to give it up, not even in the face of the ever persistant child services.

It proved to be a tremendous hit at festivals, and watching this film I can see exactly why. The perfect brand of New Zealand humour that made films such as What we do in the Shadows and the comedy of The Flight of the Conchords so popular excels in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. With fantastic humour throughout and not a minute wasted, the chemistry between Julian Dennison (Ricky) and Sam Neill (Hec) is instantanious and at times is so good that it’s hard to believe it isn’t real. The two main characters are joined by a stellar supporting cast. Kiwi comedy stalwart Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords and What we do in the Shadows) is joined by incredible cameos, often too fleeting who provide well timed and measured skits throughout this film.

The direction is  strong and  the New Zealand  landscapes provide the perfect backdrop for this film. Both a coming of age story and a story of purpose after tragedy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is brilliant adaptation of Wild Pork and Watercress. Both sweet and side splitting, this film has definitely proven to be one of my  top picks of 2016 and is an absolute must see.

Desk-bound FBI Agent Nate Foster (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers a new world as he is cherry picked by former undercover agent Angela Zamparo (Toni Collette) to enter and investigate a dirty bomb threat. Imperium takes us into a world of of white supremacy, race wars and skinheads, proving that threats don’t always come from where you expect.

First time director Daniel Ragussis is making a political statement with Imperium. From the beginning, Ragussis is making point that the world’s focus on Islamist violence is counter-productive and hides other potential threats. Yet no matter how true of poignant this statement is, it’s far too obvious. The first thirty minutes felt more like anti-fascist propaganda than it did a film about Nate Foster.

Imperium picked up significantly once this point had been made and it got into the grit of the plot they were trying to uncover, but it still only went surface deep. The characters in this film, particularly young recruit Johnny (Devin Druid) are incredibly interesting characters, yet theirs little depth to their motivation. Even the bomb plot itself only has a surface motivation and it’s very difficult to see why the event has come about in the first place with several of the plotters not even appearing until the final scenes.

Nonetheless, these basic characters are done really well and are faultless in this sense. Every skinhead feels real and even the more hidden white supremacists are believable. Where Imperium does stand out it with Daniel Radcliffe’s character. As an portrayal of how someone so risk averse, and so opposite to those he comes to live with, and even understand, is excellent. Imperium portrays well that to become trusted, you must understand and relate to the people who trust you, even if their political views are wild and they appear insane, you may have more in common than you think.

I won’t be too critical of Imperium. It’s a highly entertaining film, and I certainly enjoyed it. I’d even watch it again. The plot is well placed, the acting and the characters are good. The story is great and it’s delivery without much flaw. I just felt it could have been so much more than it was. Some will certainly feel it’s relevance and feel side by side with it’s political statement, but it was just a little force fed. Imperium is one you should judge for yourself. I don’t think many will hate it, but I don’t think it’ll blow many minds. A good film, not a great one.

Watch the trailer here.

Both a tale of discovery and justice; Embrace of the Serpent tells the story of Karamakate (Nilbio Torres, and Antonio Bolivar), an Amazonian Shamen living alone, the last of his people, who over 40 years helps two western explorers find both their dreams, and their end, as they search for the same healing plant they believe to be the solution to their suffering. Karamakate, depicted as both young and old repeats the same path on this lumbering but beautiful journey as this ethnographic tale of colonialism portrays the truth of a politically divided Columbia.

Based on the diaries of Theodor Kock-Grunberg and Richard Evans Schultes, who are both portrayed in this film, Ciro Guerra delivers a psychedelic and emotional film filled with hatred, love and respect in equal measure. Guerra injects no pace into the film, and whether this is an attempt to create realism or not it will divide audiences on whether Embrace of the Serpent is an artful a masterpiece, or a bit of a bore. It’s not that this is a boring film and that very little happens. In fact the opposite is true, with interesting action and incredible dialogue this has everything to be an incredibly exciting film. It’s just that the slow transitions and the thoughtfulness of the dialogue, much like the slow cinema of Tsai Ming-Liang though on a much smaller scale create a sluggishness that in some respects adds to its beauty but also detracts from the event.

The stars of Embrace of the Serpent are spectacular. The five main stars excel in their roles, with Nilbio Torres’ portrayal of young Karamakate particularly exciting, each actor captures their character well. Their motivation and vastly polar political and moral views are stark and obvious which helps to create a constant tension despite their co-operation which is the lifeblood of this film.

Ultimately, this kind of cinema isn’t for everyone and while I might not give Embrace of the Serpent and immediate re-watch, and I won’t be recommending it on my blockbuster hit list, I’m glad to have seen it. If you love art, politics or the study of people and cultures, then this film is definitely for you and I’d be rushing to get yourself a copy.

You can see the trailer below!