THE CONVERT (2024)

July 12, 2024

Greetings again from the darkness. Ten years ago, no one would have thought twice about a preacher traveling to a remote island with the given mission of converting souls – both indigenous and British – to Christianity. But much has changed in those 10 years, and writer-director Lee Tamahori (hit and miss with NEXT, 2007; DIE ANOTHER DAY, 2002; ALONG CAME A SPIDER, 2001; THE EDGE, 1997) and co-writers Michael Bennett and Shane Danielson take head-on on the “white savior” backlash that’s surely coming their way (not from me).

It’s 1830 and Thomas Munro (Guy Pearce) is catching a ride across the rough waves of the Tasman Sea. His beautiful white steed doesn’t much care for the boat’s ups and downs, and both man and beast are happy to go for a run on the sandy shore once they reach their destination. And that’s pretty much the end of the good times. Munro has been hired by the colonists to be their preacher and bring Christianity to the locals … tribes of Maori. Munro stumbles into the brutal inter-tribe battles and he quickly negotiates to save the life of Rangimai (a stunning Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne), the daughter of the other tribe’s chief.

Early on, we also learn that Munro is no ordinary preacher. He has a past that haunts him – and skills that come in handy in this new environment. Mostly though, he does a great deal of talking – regularly negotiating one thing or another with one side or another. His sketch book offers proof that he’s a good man with good intentions, and one who seeks the good in others. What he also learns is that muskets are often more powerful than Christian words.

Munro’s mission is aided by Charlotte (a terrific Jacqueline McKenzie) who acts as a translator, while carrying her own personal history of tragedy. Racism is of course on full display, despite Munro’s efforts to negotiate peace between the tribes and the always-hovering British colonists. Throughout the film, there are some sloppily staged fight scenes, yet the cinematography from Gin Loane is exceptional. We do get the crescendo of a final showdown, as well as a somewhat surprising ending on display in a “Four years later” epilogue. Director Tamahori hits us very early with a smaller bird being attacked midair by a larger bird, with the survival of the fittest on display – whether here in New Zealand, or most any other place throughout history.

Opening July 12, 2024

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE

August 16, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. The psychotic, sadistic son of Saddam Hussein is the subject of this film from director Lee Tamahori. Tamahori has a history of colorful films with terrific visuals that are somewhat lacking in substance. This latest film falls right in line, though it had much potential.

The key reason to see this one is the explosive performance(s) of Dominic Cooper. He plays two characters who happen to look identical, but are polar opposites in thought and morals. As Latif Yahia, Cooper plays a genuinely nice citizen of Iraq who gets forced into the role of “fiday” or body double for Saddam’s evil son Uday. For lack of a better description, Uday is psychotic and thrills only at abuse of power. This is not political corruption per se, because Uday has very little role in the Saddam government. But it is the most frightening example of absolute power corrupted.

The script is based on the real Latif’s story, and the closing credits catch us up on the key players.  Mr. Tamahori interjects actual footage of the war in Iraq, but it really adds no substance.  At its core, this is a story of a good guy fighting a bad guy … albeit in a most unusual manner.

 This has to be an actor’s dream come true … playing two such different characters, one of which allows, even requires, your actions to go over the top. Cooper is best known for his much different roles in Mamma Mia and An Education. While there have been many actors who have played dual roles in movies, very few are as spellbinding as Cooper in this one.  His performance ranks with Al Pacino in Scarface and Vincent Cassel in Mesrine. The movie is very difficult to watch because of the actions of Uday, but Cooper’s performance makes it worthwhile.

 The support work is provided by Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool) as Uday’s lover, who also risks her life by getting cozy with Latif. I am really not sure about this character and although I am a fan of Sagnier, this story line seemed to take away from the battle of wits between Uday and Latif. Combine that with the movie being about 10-15 minutes too long, and I believe the script could have been tightened up resulting in an improved movie.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want a look at a possible Oscar contender for Best Actor – Dominic Cooper is amazing

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are looking for a documentary on Saddam or Uday Hussein as this is a dramatized version

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson