Good for Nothing

Aroview: A convincingly mounted 'Pavlova Western' homegrown in New Zealand but set in the traditional American west, about a nameless outlaw's misguided affection for his captive damsel-in-distress.

A labour of love for first-time writer/director Wallis and his partner-actress Rademeyer, this is an admirably ambitious DIY endeavour that belies the usual signatures of first-time 'indie' film-making with impressive results. His script perhaps leaves a few too many holes in the dialogue to fully satisfy its cheeky though troubling premise of abduction and impotence, but he directs with remarkable assurance, and with cinematographer Mathew Knight, gets serious visual bang for his buck with resplendent South Island locations that don't stray into LOTR territory.

The prodigious soundtrack was composed by award-winning John Psathas in his film debut, and performed by the NZSO.

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