Hmm...

I actually found the hand-held camera work quite refreshing -- not the usual period movie bollocks.

But, yes -- the film felt sanitised with it's interesting story core removed -- for distribs maybe?

I presumed that the bad circus act sequence was a metephor for gay sex -- this I don't undertand in a post-Brokeback world.

Nikki's made some ok films though. Can't win 'em all.

re: Phillip

I agree with your sentiments about judging a book and a film differently. But I think a film should be at least spiritually faithful to the source material. Look at Jackson's LOTR movies. A lot of what happens in the films does not happen in the books (and vice versa), yet he remains faithful to the spirit of the book by staying true to Tolkein's themes, characters, messages etc

I have not seen the Vintner's Luck, but if Caro has short changed the love story between the man and the angel (which Elizabeth Knox seems to think, according to the article) then I don't see that as being faithful, at all, to the novel. Like an earlier poster said, it's like removing the love story from Brokeback Mountain. What is the point? Perhaps even more devastating is that the love story between Xas and Sobran (and all the complications that follow) is probably the most compelling thing about the novel.

Again, I have not seen the film so I can't really comment beyond that. But I am perplexed as to why Niki Caro made this creative decision - considering it's an independent film surely they weren't scared of alienating viewers? it would be nice if she did an interview about it.

I think it's a mistake to expect a movie to be an accurate re-telling of a storyline in a book. A film is a film, and a book a book. The film should be judged completely on it's own merits. It should succeed or fail as a film, not as a visual book.

Thanks Graeme for giving it heaps. The NZ Film Industry seems to be in a dire situation thanks to the "Gulag" years ruled by ex-CEO Ruth Harley and her Board. It is them we have to thank for greenlighting all these never-ending appalling films. But wait- there's more to come. In yday's Dom/Post we get our first glimpse of the new Film Commission CEO, Graeme Mason, with statements that defy description and reaction. Why wasnt Russell Crowe asked to play the lead in "out of the Blue," and then asking Vincent Ward to comment. Look at "River Queen," which was laden with stars, yet another film that was as catastrophic in every department, like "Vintner's Luck." How many millions did these films cost? will we ever know. Mr Mason is going to have to come up with a better way to save our industry rather than using the marketing ploy. The sooner Peter Jackson's report is made public the better. And I am sure some heads are going to roll, and roll...

We left the cinema unsatisfied and in sort of a 'so what' attitude. We were bored. The landscape pictures were enjoyable, the acting mediocre and the filming style terrible. Hand held camera at the beginning of the film excrutiating, a constant wobble of up and down, pictures really hard to see and focus on as the camerea went over them too fast and too close. This is not Bourne Identity where we are looking for fast action!! We did enjoy the costumes though. But the film did not do justice to the book. What a pity...

I'm writing a follow up to this review - second thoughts on Vintner's Luck - for this Saturdays Dominion Post. I've watched the film three times now, and I've got some ideas on what's gone wrong, and who might be to blame. Have a read, and tell me what you think. GT

The trailer for this looks lovely. Im sure this movie will be better than the american crap people call movies i.e "Hangover, surrogates, anything with adam sandler" etc etc..

Niki Caro directing this film reminds me of teen-aged singers on Idol trying to perform mature repertoire. ie: they can't express the song properly because they are too young and inexperienced, and the result looks and sounds awkward.

I reckon its the same problem with this film. She should concentrate on directing films that better suit her emotional capacity. Seriously, she should stick to directing kids movies.

its sad to see a story so great be sanitised to fit middle America. Caro could have had a cult film with a huge following which then could have inspired Elizabeth Knox to write more stories based on some of these characters. Instead Knox is probably reeling at her desk wondering why she gave the film rights to Caro.

I, like so many others saw the film and was baffled. I have not read the book but still found myself thinking "Did I miss something?". A friend of mine asked "What happens in it?" and I didn't know what to say. ....not much, it may actually be a cure for insomnia. I have to say however that it was not all bad. I didn't have a problem with the camera work and generally found the production values to be first class. It looked great and sounded fantastic. It seems Kiwis can do something right after all.