Set in 2011, the film around the Dutch-American soccer coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) who reluctantly takes the job of coaching the worst team in the world in America Samoa for an upcoming qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is a film with a simple premise yet it is told in an offbeat fashion as it plays into a man at the bottom of his life as he has gained a notorious reputation for his angry outbursts in soccer games as he is forced to take this job or else become unemployed. The film’s screenplay by Taika Waititi and Iain Morris is largely straightforward though it opens with an America-Samoan priest (Taika Waititi) revealing about this story with some additional embellishments and dramatic liberties including a small tale about the infamous 2001 FIFA World Cup qualifying game between America Samoa and Australia in which the former lost to the latter in a score of 31-0.
The screenplay doesn’t just play into Rongen’s struggle to turn this team of misfits into a capable team but also with the America Samoan culture that is quite unique in terms of their devotion to faith as they would stop doing everything during a prayer bell as well as the fact that their upbeat despite the losses they take. Even as he learns that many of the players and staff that work for the national team have multiple jobs and don’t take things too seriously as it is a source of conflict for Rongen who takes the game seriously. Still, Rongen would find ways to connect with the locals in the team’s president Tavita (Michael Kightley) as well as a fa’afafine in Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana) whom Rongen sees as a natural defender as well as making him/her the team captain. Saelua would also help him recruit players including Nicky Salapu (Uli Latukefu) who was the goalie of that infamous game from 2001. The script also plays into Rongen’s reluctance to open up as he’s been separated from his wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss) who was the person that suggested him for this job as a way to cope with issues he’s been trying to avoid.
Waititi’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of his compositions but also has elements of style in the way he portrays American Samoa as the film is shot largely in Honolulu, Hawaii. There are wide and medium shots in these locations including a mountain where a famous American Samoa site is held as Waititi makes the island a major location yet he keeps much of his film straightforward while also putting a few quirks to give the film a sense of flavor. Especially with its humor as it is offbeat in the way the locals present themselves but it never goes into parody where Waititi also uses video as a tour guide for Rongen to watch as well as why they don’t like Samoa. It’s among these little things that allows Waititi to play into Rongen’s own sense of confusion as he would eventually accept their customs while also having to think outside of the box in order coach them.
Waititi’s direction also has compositions that matches the same imagery from the 2014 documentary film of the same name while infusing it with some humor but also knows when to not put humor into something serious. Even as there’s scenes where Rongen is listening to phone messages from his daughter Nicole (Kaitlyn Dever) as a way to deal with his own emotions. The film’s climax is this qualifying game against Tonga as Waititi puts a lot into the game but also this element of drama as it relates to the many issues that Rongen has. Even as he still has this confusion about the America Samoan’s views on life and the world as well as how they play soccer even though there’s a lot riding against them. Yet, Waititi finds a way to showcase this idea of the good and the bad as well as how someone should take it no matter how hard life is. Overall, Waititi crafts a touching yet funny film about a troubled soccer coach going to American Samoa to turn their national team from the worst to a team of winners through just one goal.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting but also on low-key lighting to not give the film this vibrant look but rather something a little realistic but also colorful. Editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, Nicholas Monsour, and Nat Sanders do excellent work with the editing in creating some stylish montages as well as a scene late in the film with its usage of jump-cuts to play into something that is dramatic but also funny. Production designer Ra Vincent, along with supervising art director Peter Borck plus set decorators Katrin Chong and Taylor Jean, does amazing work with the look of the house that Rongen stays in during his tenure as well as the convenience store as well as the local restaurant that is run by Tavita with many of the players working there. Costume designer Miyako Bellizzi does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with some island-inspired shirts and such that play into the island flavor of the film.
Visual effects supervisor Jason Chen does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the locations as well as in some of the video footage as it relates to footage of the past. Sound editors Phil Barrie and Ai-Ling Lee do terrific work with the sound work in the way a bell sounds from afar or up close that gets all of the natives to kneel and pray along with other natural sound effects as it adds to the atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is wonderful for its mixture of electronic and orchestral flourishes with island-folk based music that plays into the humor and drama with a soundtrack that features some American Samoa-based folk music as well as music from Dolly Parton, Tears for Fears, and Sia.
The casting by Katie Doyle, Mary Vernieu, and Michelle Wade Byrd is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Taika Waititi as the American-Samoan priest who is sort of the film’s narrator in the film’s opening scene, Kaitlyn Dever in a largely-voice role as Rongen’s daughter Nicole, Angus Sampson and Luke Hemsworth as a couple of Australian players/FIFA officials who are old friends of Rongen with the latter having played in that infamous qualifying game, Chris Alosio as a kid named Jonah who would be Rongen’s assistant during practices, Loretta Ables Sayre as Rambo’s mother who is also a local cop, Rhys Darby as a FIFA official who does some funny presentations for Rongen over his status, and Uli Latukefu as the goalie who played at the infamous 2001 qualifying game whom Rongen tries to convince to return as he’s still fit and able to play. Other notable roles in the film as players for the team include David Tu’itupou as a player known as Tall David, Hio Pelesasa as Samson, Semu Filipo as a local cop named Rambo with a fierce kick, Ioane Goodhue as Smiley, and Lehi Makisi Falepapalangi as Pisa.
Elisabeth Moss is fantastic as Rongen’s estranged wife Gail who also works for FIFA as she is the one to suggest to Rongen to go to American Samoa in the hope he can sort out his own issues as well as find a way to reconnect with him. Will Arnett is excellent as Alex Magnussen as a FIFA official and Gail’s current boyfriend who often spouts these hilarious metaphoric stories as he tries to help Rongen with his issues while also being a bit of a dick but in a fun way as Arnett proves to be the right choice as his role was meant for Armie Hammer until scandal broke out and the film and Arnett came in for re-shoots. David Fane is brilliant as Ace as a mild-mannered coach who doesn’t do confrontations as he proves to be a funny assistant coach for Rongen. Rachel House is amazing as Tavita’s wife Ruth who is often the voice of reason for Tavita while also doing a funny bit to get into Rongen’s head. Beulah Koale is awesome as Daru Taumua as Tavita and Ruth’s son who plays for the team but is skeptical about Rongen until he finds his worth for the team as he gets inspired by Rongen’s teachings.
Kaimana is incredible as Jaiyah Saelua as a fa’afafine player who doesn’t take him/herself seriously yet does find a way to connect with Rongen as well as become the team’s captain where he/she is revealed to be a great defensive player as well as someone not to mess with. Oscar Kightley is great as Tavita as the federation president for the national team as he is someone that constantly gets humiliated but also knows not to have high expectations as his humor is low-key yet effective while also displaying a view on life that is fascinating no matter how bad things can get. Finally, there’s Michael Fassbender in a phenomenal performance as Thomas Rongen as this once-revered soccer player/coach who has serious anger issues as he reluctantly takes this job to coach the worst team in the world where Fassbender showcases some humor as well as bring a lot of emotional weight to a man at the bottom of his life where it is one of Fassbender’s finest performances.
Next Goal Wins is a marvelous film from Taika Waititi that features a great leading performance from Michael Fassbender as well as tremendous supporting performances from Oscar Kightley and Kaimana. Along with its ensemble cast, colorful visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a compelling real-life story of adversity and finding balance in both the good and bad of life. It is a film that isn’t just a fun sports movie but also a story of a man trying to turn the worst team in the world into a team of winners but also find himself in learning to take the good with the bad. In the end, Next Goal Wins is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi.
Related (Next Goal Wins (2014 film)) – The Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - What We Do in the Shadows - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love & Thunder - (Klara and the Sun)
© thevoid99 2024
Based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the story of a troubled young boy who is sent to foster care where he finds an unlikely father figure in a cantankerous man as they get into trouble by the authorities as they flee into bushes of New Zealand. Written for the screen and directed by Taika Waititi, the film is a genre bender of adventure and comedy where a boy and a man who initially wanted nothing to do with each other become this unlikely duo who don’t play by the rules. Starring Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Waita, and Rachel House. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a witty and heartfelt film from Taika Waititi.
The film is a simple story of a teenage boy who is sent to live with a foster family where things go wrong prompting the boy and his new-foster uncle to go on the run into the New Zealand bushes with their dogs as a manhunt ensues for the two. It’s a film that is an adventure story of sorts yet it is really about this boy and this cantankerous man who is reluctant to be the uncle for this kid yet realizes the boy’s worth and what he has to do help him. Taika Waititi’s screenplay, with contributions from Te Arepa Kahi, explores this unique family situation where Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) arrives to this farm ran by a woman named Bella (Rima Te Waita) and her husband Hector (Sam Neill). For Ricky, he had been in a bunch of foster families all over New Zealand as he’s been causing trouble in places as his arrival to his home has him expecting another bad situation. Yet, Bella would be this very positive and loving figure for Ricky as it gives him something he’s never had but it would all change when child welfare want Ricky back and take him to a juvenile prison which Ricky refuses to go.
Hector isn’t keen on taking care of Ricky but upon realizing that Ricky and his new dog Tupac is lost in the bushes, he would find him as more trouble ensues when it is believed that Hector kidnapped Ricky. It’s not just these authorities such as the police and a child welfare officer named Paula (Rachel House) that are after Hector and Ricky but also three hunters the two encountered earlier as there’s a bounty for the two. During the course of the story, Ricky and Hector would have this bond in not just surviving the bushes with their dogs but also in each other as Hector is a man that has a hard time fitting into the world as he is still dealing with things as well as why he was reluctant to have Ricky in his life. During the course of evading the authorities, the two would become heroes in and around New Zealand though there’s some that think of them as just bad people where Ricky would find himself confronting Paula in one scene as it’s very funny due to the pop culture references mentioned in the scene.
Waititi’s direction definitely has some gorgeous visuals as a lot of it is shot in the areas in the Central Plateau and Waitakere Ranges in New Zealand with some of it shot in small towns in the country. The bushes in the film are definitely a major character as it provide this sense of a world that is completely disconnected from society which seems fitting as both Ricky and Hector are kind of outcasts who don’t fit in with the conventions of society. While Waititi would use some wide shots for these locations, he favors more intimate compositions with the usage of medium shots and close-ups as he would create unique framing that play into the growing bond between Ricky and Hector. There are also these amazing shots in which Waititi would use a tripod to shoot around the surroundings as it is among some of the most beautiful shots in the film as it play into some of the humor but also moments that are quite serious.
Even in scenes that are quite chilling including an encounter with a wild boar and other moments that are quite adventurous show Waititi emphasizing on the scale of the manhunt for the two as it would give Ricky and Hector the chance to deal with these setbacks and such. There are also these moments that are quite offbeat which include a brief animated sequence directed by Caroline Ting as it relates to this manhunt led by Paula as well as a moment early in the film where Ricky is lost in the woods as he becomes hungry. It’s part of Waititi’s own brand of humor where it’s not forced in order to get a laugh but rather play into some of the absurdity that goes on throughout the film. Yet, Waititi doesn’t use any of that to get to the importance of the story as it feature a lot of heart as it relates to this very unlikely relationship between a man and a boy that don’t have anything in common other than just being outcasts. Overall, Waititi creates an exhilarating yet heartfelt film about a teenage boy and a man hiding out in the bushes of New Zealand from some very bad people.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of natural light for some of the film’s exterior scenes including some in the bushes as well as the interior lighting in a few scenes inside the home of a few characters Ricky and Hector would meet. Editors Luke Haigh, Tom Eagles, and Yana Gorskaya do excellent work for utilizing some stylish cuts such as jump-cuts and dissolves while creating a few inventive montages that add to the film’s unique tone. Production designer Neville Stevenson and art director Jon Lithgow do amazing work with the look of the farm Ricky lived in with Hector and Bella as well as the home of a family he encounters and ranger huts he and Hector would find. Costume designer Kristen Seth does fantastic work with the costumes from the hip-hop inspired clothing that Ricky wears to the more rugged look of Hector as much of it is casual.
Hair/makeup designer Dannielle Satherley does nice work with the look of a few characters including Hector and a reclusive man known as Psycho Sam. Visual effects supervisor Kevin Andrew Smith does terrific work with the look of a few moments of visual effects that include a hilarious scene of hallucination from Ricky as well as the eerie moment with the wild boar. Sound designer Dick Reade does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the bushes as well as the sound of gunfire and such that add to some of the chaos as well as moments of humor. The film’s music by Lukasz Buda, Samuel Scott, and Conrad Wedde is incredible for its mixture of low-key electronic music as well as some folk and piano-based music that give the film different flavors in the music to play into New Zealand’s diverse musical culture while music supervisor Natalie Wilson creates a fun soundtrack that features music from acts like Moniker, Bob Marley, the Alessi Brothers, and Leonard Cohen.
The casting by Stuart Turner is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Taika Waititi as a funny minister, Hamish Parkinson as a police official talking about a device that would help Paula, the trio of Cohen Halloway, Stan Walker, and Mike Minogue as hunters who meet Ricky and Hector only to hunt them down for the bounty later on, Troy Kingi as Maori man who is excited about Ricky in his house, and Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne as Maori girl named Kahu that Ricky falls for as she lets him stay at his house for a night. Oscar Kightley is terrific as a dim-witted officer named Andy who often accompanies Paula as he’s treated like an idiot though it is clear he’s not as dim as she thinks he is. Rhys Darby is superb as Psycho Sam as this recluse who would help Ricky and Hector in the third act as he has some issues toward the authority as well as the government. Rachel House is excellent as Paula as a child welfare official who is determined to bring Ricky to juvenile detention as she isn’t this conventional antagonist but rather someone who believes in this idea of not leaving any child behind as it’s a very funny performance to watch.
Rima Te Waita is brilliant as Bella as Hector’s wife who is this warm figure that would bring a positive world to Ricky as well as provide a sense of importance to Ricky and Hector. Finally, there’s the duo of Sam Neill and Julian Dennison in tremendous performances in their respective roles as Hector and Ricky. Dennison’s performance is so lively as well as being quite funny in some of the hip-hop slang he says as well as being a quick learner in surviving the bushes as it’s a very engaging performance for someone that could’ve been grating but his development into someone trying to survive as well as needing a father figure is key to Dennison’s winning performance. Neill’s performance as Hector is definitely complex as someone who starts off as quiet and cantankerous as someone who doesn’t want to deal with people but he does have this toughness into his performance as someone who did go to prison as well as weariness of someone who has been through a lot and is trying to help Ricky survive the bushes. Neill and Dennison together are a joy to watch in the way they build up the relationship with Dennison as the funny guy and Neill as the straight man as they’re a major highlight of the film.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a phenomenal film from Taika Waititi that feature sensational performances from Sam Neill and Julian Dennison. Along with a great supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a touching yet witty story, and a fantastic music soundtrack. It’s a film that isn’t just this exciting and funny adventure film but also a film with a lot of heart as it play into the unlikely relationship between a man and a boy who are outcasts in modern society. In the end, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an outstanding film from Taika Waititi.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - What We Do in the Shadows - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love and Thunder - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
© thevoid99 2017
Written directed and starring Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement, What We Do in the Shadows is a film that explores the lives of vampires living in the suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand as it’s told in a documentary-like style. The film is a horror-comedy that follows the lives of vampires adjusting to their surroundings as well as deal with the downside of modern civilization. Also starring Rhys Darby, Jonathan Burgh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, and Stu Rutherford. What We Do in the Shadows is a witty and stylish film from Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement.
Told in the span of nearly a year just before a prestigious masquerade ball that happens every few years, the film is about a documentary film crew who make a film for the New Zealand government about vampires who are living in Wellington. There, they capture the lives of four of these vampires as well as a human servant who would bring in a couple of people for the vampires to feed on where one of them becomes a new vampire and brings a human friend to introduce them to the modern world. The film is told in this documentary style where these vampires cope with their life but also some of the drawbacks of being a vampire as well as the modern world which they’re baffled by. The screenplay by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement play into this strange encounter with the modern world where vampires, zombies, witches, and werewolves live among humanity but are trying to maintain some control.
Yet, there is still some tension between vampires and werewolves as they all try to not fight while the vampires try to show their newest friend what it is like to be a vampire. Especially as the newest guy in Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) deals with the guys he is living with as its leader Viago (Taika Waititi) is quite uptight and likes to keep things clean. The other three in the former tyrant Vladislav (Jermaine Clement) who is still reeling from a battle he lost many years ago, the rebellious Deacon (Jonathan Burgh) who tries to be cool as he doesn’t like Nick, and the reclusive Petyr (Ben Fransham) who is 8,000 years old and is the one that turned Nick into a vampire. They all live in the night as Viago often checks to see if it’s nighttime while the tenants, minus Petyr, would have meetings while they’re often aided by Deacon’s human servant Jackie (Jackie van Beek) and later Nick’s friend Stu (Stu Rutherford) who would introduce the other vampires to the Internet and such.
The film’s direction by Waititi and Clement definitely plays up that idea of the documentary yet the documentary crew is never shown. Shot like a documentary with its usage of close-ups and medium shots to maintain that air of intimacy. The film does play up that idea that everything is being filmed including moments where the vampires do whatever to get some blood as there are moments of gore and lots of blood. However, they’re played for laughs where a scene involving Viago eating a victim ends up bad in a comical manner as his whole room becomes a mess. There are some wide shots as the film is shot on location in Wellington which is definitely the most unlikely place for a community of vampires, werewolves, zombies, and witches would live in but it has that mixture of the modern world with some elements of the old world. There also moments where the human characters who help the vampires are also profiled not just as ordinary people but those with quirks while the scene where the local police come into the vampires’ home is very funny as there is that sense of what will happen or what won’t happen. The climax at this masquerade ball doesn’t just play into the social world of the creatures but also in the chaos of what happens when humans are there as well as loyalties start to emerge for these men. Overall, Waititi and Clement create a thrilling yet hilarious film about vampires living in the 21st Century.
Cinematographers Richard Bluck and D.J. Stipsen do excellent work with the look of the many scenes set at night to play into the nightlife of Wellington with its clubs and such as well as a few scenes set in the day to play into the lives of the human servants. Editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, and Jonathan Woodford-Robinson do amazing work with the editing as it‘s largely straightforward with some stylish montages as well as some jump-cuts to play into the humor. Production designer Ra Vincent does fantastic work with the look of the house that the vampires live in as well as the rooms of each character to display their personalities. Costume designer Amanda Neale does nice work with the costumes with the clothing style of the vampires where Viago and Vladislav display a look of 18th/19th century clothing while Nick’s clothes are more based on hipster trends.
Makeup/hair designer Dannelle Satherly, along with special effects makeup designers Don Brooker and Roger Murray, does brilliant work with the look of the vampires in their near-human like state as well as the look of Petyr who serve as a homage to the film Nosferatu. Visual effects supervisors Stan Alley and Darwin Go do terrific work with the visual effects that include scenes of the vampires floating or flying around in the air as well as moments where they turn into bats. Sound editor Simon Riley does superb work with the sound in the way some of the noises in the other rooms are heard as well as some sound effects to play in the way the vampire hisses sound. The film’s music by Plan 9 is extraordinary for its 18th/19th century string music filled with all sorts of string instruments while the soundtrack also include a mixture of classical and contemporary music to play into the places the characters venture to.
The casting by Tina Cleary and Todd Resnick is wonderful as it feature some notables small roles from Karen O’Leary and Mike Minogue as a couple of police officers who would meet the vampires during a search, Elena Stejko as a former lover of Vladislav, Ethel Robinson as an old flame of Viago, and Ben Fransham as the very silent and reclusive vampire Petyr who likes to be alone. Rhys Darby is terrific as Anton who is the head of a local werewolf pack that tries to maintain some order and peace despite his own issues with the vampires. Jackie Van Beek is fantastic as Jackie as Deacon’s servant who helps do some of the daytime chores as well as get whoever for the vampires to feed on in the hopes that she becomes a vampire. Stu Rutherford is superb as Nick’s friend Stu as a software computer analyst who befriends the vampires as he helps introduce them to modern technology as well as allow them to see the sun for the very first time in many years through YouTube.
Cori Gonzalez-Macuer is excellent as Nick as a newly-formed vampire who helps the other vampires get in touch with the modern world while dealing with the drawbacks in being a vampire. Jonathan Brugh is brilliant as Deacon as a rebellious vampire who doesn’t like Nick very much as he tries to maintain his rebellious persona as well as do erotic dances of the past to entertain his friends. Jermaine Clement is amazing as Vladislav as a vampire who has a love of torture and sex with women while dealing with the great defeat that still haunts him as he still hopes to regain some vigor. Finally, there’s Taika Waititi in an incredible performance as Viago as the head vampire who is kind of a neat freak as well as lament over a former flame whom he still sees in her old age while trying to teach Nick the ideas in being a vampire.
What We Do in the Shadows is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement. Featuring a great cast, a witty premise, dazzling visuals, and a fun soundtrack, it’s a film that play into the many ideas of what it’s like being a vampire in the 21st Century. Even as it is played for laughs as well as provide some unique commentary about the downside of the modern world. In the end, What We Do in the Shadows is a sensational film from Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love and Thunder - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
© thevoid99 2016
