Film review: Predicament

TOO NICE: Predicament misses completely the alcoholism, the self-loathing and the loneliness that drove Ronald Hugh Morrieson's pen.

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Predicament is set in a small South Taranaki town in the 1930s. The place might not be exactly author Ronald Hugh Morrieson's native Hawera, but it was probably close enough to enrage more than a few locals.

Morrieson wrote about a town where every local was hiding a secret, where the local cops were quite probably on the take, and the landed gentry were just as big a ratbag as the motliest of the town drunks.

Into this surreal Kiwi demi- monde, Morrieson inserted a tale of lechery, blackmail, murder and general scumbaggery of the highest order.

Predicament was the last of Morrieson's novels to be written, after The Scarecrow, Came a Hot Friday, and Pallet on The Floor, and now it is the last to be filmed.

Director Jason Stutter's film does a pretty good job of recreating the look and the events of Morrieson's book.

The actions, words and places are more or less faithful, while the production values, especially Simon Raby's cinematography, are exceptional.

Unfortunately, getting a film to look right is only half the battle. I came away from seeing Predicament struck by the feeling that Stutter is just too nice a guy to have done this story justice.

Predicament misses completely the alcoholism, the self-loathing and the loneliness that drove Morrieson's pen, and so misses the venality and scabrous philosophies that he set in the hearts of his characters Toebeck, Fox and Spook. And without that, Predicament is adrift.

The film plays out like a situation comedy, or a small-town farce, but the material is too bleak and perverse to come alive when treated that way.

Jemaine Clement's Spook provides some genuine laughs, but Aussie Heath Franklin, as the villainous Toebeck, delivers his lines with a barely coherent robotic mumble that suggests he had no love or understanding at all for Morrieson's beautiful, sinuous, blokey prose.

As a comedy, there are some worthwhile moments, and Stutter's timing of a gag or a stunt is as accurate as ever, but - and this is tough for me to write, given that the director is someone I think of as a friend - poor casting, and some underwhelming performances, kill any rhythm or tension in Predicament stone dead.

Predicament
Director: Jason Stutter
Starring: Hayden Frost, Heath Franklin, Jemaine Clement
Rating: M
Time: 98 minutes
Trailer: Flicks.co.nz

* What did you think of Predicament? Post your comments below.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Turtle   #4   08:01 pm Aug 31 2010

Well done, great movie.....definitely not the worst i have seen....amazing seeing places from around south taranaki.....well done south taranaki and the movie makers!!!

Jane Taylor   #3   05:22 pm Aug 31 2010

Such a shame - an opportunity missed to make a film reflecting the complexity of Morrieson's small town characters and the gothic noir of the book - Heath Franklin is just dire, why and how he was selected to play such a pivotal role is a mystery, he drags the whole thing down - you get the impression the rest of the cast gave up trying in the face of his talentless performance. Also, the granny is too young and the 'tower' is just silly and nothing like the book's description. And Tim Finn can't act!

MikeC   #2   12:26 pm Aug 31 2010

Not even close to the worst movie I have ever seen - but nowhere near the best either.

I think your review is pretty accurate - some good acting might have done it justice.

I think you probably gave it 1/2 a star too many - substandard.

rose   #1   12:16 pm Aug 31 2010

One of the worst movies i have ever seen. A waste of money and time. Not funny AT ALL. Acting was atrocious.