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What becomes of the broken hearted?
Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
After Beth Heke (Rena Owen) left him to seek a life beyond violence and uncertainty, Jake Heke aka Jake the Muss (Temuera Morrison) turned his back on his family. While he found a new woman, Rita (Edna Stirling), he's still up to his usual tricks in McClutchy's bar, unaware, as he beats up his latest opponent, that his eldest son, Nig (Julian Arahanga), is dying in a gang fight.Also starring Clint Eruera as Sonny Heke, Nancy Brunning as Tania Rogers, Pete Smith as Apeman and Lawrence Makoare as Grunt. Based on the novel by Alan Duff, directed by Ian Mune.
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
The filmmakers are busy spinning this into Not once were warriors 2, but the comparison is inevitable and invaluable. While you will be able to watch this film without seeing the other, much of the richness will be lost, but not as much as you'd imagine as the acting is pretty darned fierce. The inevitability arises from the fact that these are the same characters a few years on. it's a cross between Whatever happened to? and What goes around comes around with a bucket load of Plus ça change, plus c'est la même. The cycle of violence turns the wheel of life toward its unavoidable conclusion: no brakes, no steering, no way out.I have been watching too many crappy videos.
What is disappointing about What becomes of the broken hearted is that the claustrophobia which made Once were warriors so intense has gone. That house is no longer a prison: the birds have fled their cage and spread their wings. Gone is the up front intensity, in its place a wandering, lost, uncertain vagueness which captures the diversity of the various paths the characters have taken, but does nothing for the audience watching them.
As a drama, this film is very full on: you are taken into a world full of unknowns where your best friend could be your worst enemy (crappy videos!). With regards to the acting, well... everyone is pretty darned awesome: Rena and Tem spark on-screen with all the becomings of the broken hearted. The next generation of victims lines up with all the innocent stupidity of youth; you yearn for them at the same time as you run from them.
What becomes of the broken hearted is a very good film which you should definitely see, but it will always be shadowed by its progenitor.
Security censorship classification
MA 15+ (Medium level violence, medium level sex scene, medium level coarse language)
Not for public release in Australia before date
22 July 1999
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