Andrew Whiteside

Watch: This Town is entertaining but lacks an emotional punch

This Town is a new kiwi film by Director David White who is also the main actor. So, what’s it all about. 

Watch Andrew’s review here:

 

Or if you want to read – here it is in words:

Plot

The film is set in a fictional kiwi town called Thiston  – where a family was brutally murdered and the prime suspect was the surviving son. He was acquitted of the killings, but is still under a cloud of suspicion.  – the movie traces his attempts to reconcile his past and find romance. It’s billed as a dark comedy. 

Acting

The cast perform well, but they seemed a little hamstrung by a reliance on slapstick and stoicism. Each of the players seemed to be caricatures rather than characters – and some needed more emotion and depth to them.  

7 out of 10 for acting. 

Plot/Script

The story was engaging, quirky and had some excellent moments in it, but there seemed to be an inconsistency to the tone of the film  – billed as a dark comedy, it was amusing at times, but lacked emotional intensity and believable conflict.  

6/10 for story 

Cinematography

There were some truly inspired shots and and I particularly liked the use of cleverly created montage segments.  

– so 7/10 for cinematography 

Set/Costumes  

Great use of locations both interior and exterior in this film and the costuming suited the depiction of an odd and quirky New Zealand town. 

– so 7/10 for this.

Entertainment 

The film was entertaining and a nice watch, but a lack of believable tension between characters reduced the emotional impact of the story.  

7 out of 10 for entertainment value. 

Average 

Averaging all those scores means This Town gets an average of 6.8 out of ten. 

Conclusion

This was a fun film, but while viewing it I couldn’t help thinking about the true story of the Bain Family murders.

This film took a lighthearted approach to a horrific crime – and in doing so, missed the chance of creating something truly remarkable and memorable This wasn’t a dark comedy – it was a lightly tanned – – and thats a shame.

THIS TOWN 

In New Zealand Cinemas 7 August 2020 

95 Minutes

Starring: David White, Robyn Malcolm, Alice May Connolly, Rima Te Wiata, 

Directed by: David White  

 Watch the trailer here:

 

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