A Song Of Good

Aroview: The director of CHRISTMAS continues to pick away at the festering sores of Kiwi suburbia, diagramming the destructive forces hampering a drug-addled slacker’s struggle for redemption after committing a hideous crime.

A mature, empathetic character study with strong performances from all involved, especially Reeves, this wincingly recognisable, darkly comic exploration of downtrodden alienation will strike many a nerve with its desperate atmosphere and Bachelorette’s astrally evocative songs, though the ‘suburban realism’ approach relies a little too heavily on stereotyping for the full impact to be felt.

NZ International Film Festival 2008