Film review: A Song of Good

A Song of Good

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OPINION: Gary Cradle (Gareth Reeves) is a waste of space - a P (methamphetamine) and pot-dependent dickhead with nothing going for him, and no way up.

His mates just want to sell him drugs, his dad (Ian Mune) can't even bring himself to eat the food that Gary cooks, and all the girls think he's a loser.

Desperate for cash, high as a kite, Gary commits a really ugly and violent assault on his neighbour.

It is his nadir, and this movie is a record of some of the moments in the next few weeks, as Gary stumbles the line between redemption and self-destruction.

A Song of Good is the best independently produced New Zealand feature film I've seen in years.

Writer-director Greg King - now based in Berlin, where his cynical wit is no doubt finding a more appreciative audience than it ever will in suburban Auckland - has put together a contentious, troubling, tough-minded and horribly funny little slice of a Kiwi reality that we see plenty of on the six o'clock news, but have never before seen on the big screen.

Mike Leigh's Naked is an obvious reference point here, but A Song of Good is just about worthy of the comparison. Bravo.

A Song of Good
Director: Greg King
Starrin: Gareth Reeves, Ian Mune, Matthew Sunderland, Danielle Cormack
Time: 100 minutes
Trailer: Flicks.co.nz

* What do you think of A Song of Good? Post your comments below.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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righton   #2   07:17 pm Apr 25 2009

It's an NZ movie that assumes that the depiction of drug-use and violence are somehow ground-breaking subjects. Against the usual backdrop of suburban strife the movie offered little that hasn't been seen before, albeit in graphic terms. The average UK soap opera has been-there, done-that: see Brookside for neighbour-rape and gun violence etc. Some real story cliches weaken the deal further: the fast food outlet stuff, the hooker sister, the befriending of the nephew, grumpy loser father. Visually very, very ordinary too for me - I thought art-house was supposed to push creative envelopes? On the plus, the lead guy did a good job, but had so little dialogue that mattered it was very hard to care. I'd give it a D.

Paul Ballard   #1   01:51 pm Mar 25 2009

I loved it too. Gritty and realistic with some great performances. It was a (sometimes) horrifying snapshot into the reality of some areas of Kiwi life. I agree with Graeme, 'Naked' was very much in my head when I watched it also. Fantastic!