Big fish, small fish



Whale Rider (2002) - 4/5 stars


Dir: Niki Caro (prev work: North County)

A dvd I just watched. This is a little indie New Zealander flick and the performance of then 12 years old Keisha Castle Hughes really touched me. (She is also the youngest ever woman to be nominated for Best Actress for a Oscar.)

The story tells in the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years ago to a ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in the tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

The people in the movie reminds you of characters and stories in Pocahantas, just that everything is slightly modern, clothes, hairstyle and talking in the modern world. But the traditions remains the same as the past, girls are discriminated, guys taking over most of the responsibilities around. This is actually a very simple story but very well told by the main character in the movie portray by Keisha Castle, who defy all the odds to earn the recognition from his beloved grandpa. Everytime she appeared on the screen it hold your attention and left you in tears.

I am very glad this movie is able to be made cause if i am a movie, I won't choose to invest money for this kind of movie. I will have problems trying to market this film as this is not the regular movie normal movie goers would want to see (no known superstars, no million dollar effects, no cutesy winny voices singing chipmunks). But with the incredible acting, breakthrough talents, deeply movie, wonderful scenery and cinematography, i hope everybody will get to see this movie suitable for all ages.