A fifteen-year old aspiring American ballerina leaves her Texan family home and is thrust into the world of Russian Ballet as one of the very few Americans to ever be accepted into the Moscow Bolshoi Academy. Under legendary teacher Tatiyana Volkova (Diane Kruger), Joy Womack (Talia Ryder) trains with the goal of becoming a Prima Ballerina at the Bolshoi Company. But, behind the beauty of dance is a world of pain and brutal competitiveness, and Joy is forced to push her body, her mind and her choices further than she ever thought possible. Finding unlikely support from Volkova, she risks her health, relationships and potentially her life in her journey to determine what it means to be great.

James Napier-Robertson has continually pushed himself to extend his artistic voice as a filmmaker, and the results are always powerful, with a list of credits that includes moving dramas The Dark Horse and Whina. Now Napier-Robertson steps into a new realm as he explores the savage pursuit of excellence in the world of Ballet and how this high artform extracts everything from its practitioners in Joika. A biography of acclaimed American ballerina Joy Womack, who achieves her dream of being accepted into the prestigious Moscow Bolshoi Academy but who then enters a cutthroat, deceptive and double-crossing world of artistic sabotage for those clamouring for the role of Prima Ballerina. Forget what you think Joika is; this is a taut and intense psychological thriller of extreme desire and sacrifice in the pursuit of perfection, and it’s a claustrophobic and affecting watch. The intensity of Joika is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the film.

While the young Joy (Talia Ryder) starts out as a doe-eyed and impressionable ingenue who exists only to dance, she quickly enters the fractious and, at times, psychologically dangerous world of the Bolshoi, and Joika suddenly turns into an almost Full Metal Jacket exercise of extreme training and psychological torment designed to separate the wheat from the chaff. And audiences will be floored. Joika is an experience where you never know what is going to happen next. Joy’s pursuit of excellence sees her under an extreme level of suffering, both physical, emotional and spiritual, and the pursuit of her dream soon cuts her deep. The cinematography and muted colour palette of cinematographer Tomasz Naumiuk add to the tension of this picture, and it’s a cinematic experience that fully envelopes you as a viewer.

Talia Ryder makes a huge impression on audiences with her raw and completely unflinching performance as Joy Womack, and she is an incredible talent to watch. Her performance in Joika is one that completely goes from A to Z, and she fully embraces the toil and suffering that Joy Womack had to undergo to become the dancer she always dreamed of. Bringing key support to the picture is Diane Kruger as Tatiyana Volkova, and this is a role unlike any she’s taken on before. As a former Prima Ballerina and a woman. who has devoted her life to the Bolshoi, Kruger’s Volkova is a tough-as-nails drill instructor of a dance teacher who puts Joy through immense pain to unleash her true potential. But she’s not a psychotic character and underneath is great care for Joy, which she slowly reveals, which elevates both of them to greatness.

While Joika is an immensely harsh watch at times, it all leads to a fulfilling ending and one that analyses the extent to which some individuals are willing to strive for greatness. James Napier-Roberston wraps you up in the emotions of everything, and it’s a thrilling watch that brings out the psychological tension in its narrative. The fact that it is all true makes it that much more intense. Through its camera work, choreography, and two superb performances from its leading ladies, including the presence of young Talia Ryder, who is an acting force and one that you should keep an eye out on, Joika will have you on edge right to the very end.

The post ‘Joika’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

The story of Dame Whina Cooper (Rena Owen, Miriama McDowell), the beloved Māori matriarch who worked tirelessly to improve the rights of her people, especially women. Flawed yet resilient, Whina tells the story of a woman formed by tradition, compelled by innovation, and guided by an instinct for equality and justice whose legacy as the Te Whaea o te Motu (Mother of the Nation) was an inspiration to an entire country.

Of great importance to the history, culture and people of New Zealand is Dame Whina Cooper, a woman of immense mana and spirit whose actions would change the course of Aotearoa New Zealand forever. Now her story is brought to the screen by co-directors James Napier Robertson and Paula Whetu Jones, and these two filmmakers present the extraordinary life of a woman who stood up for what she believed in no matter how hard things got. And by having such conviction in her principles, she would change her nation forever.

Delivered with immense respect and dignity, Whina is a film that chronicles all of Dame Whina Cooper’s life. Beginning with her role as a pioneering social activist in the late 1940s through to the early 1960s, to her leadership of the Māori Land March in 1975, Whina is a powerful recreation of history on screen which will impact all viewers.

In a unique narrative presentation, Napier Roberston and Whetu Jones tell their story through two gifted performers, Rena Owen and Miriama McDowell, who both bring Cooper’s life to realism on the big screen. As the young Cooper, McDowell shows a fierce dramatic strength and the will to not back down from seeing that the right things are done. There’s inspirational energy that shines through in her performance as Cooper in the picture. In her performance, McDowell captures Dame Cooper’s love and passion for all of the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and her desire to see them treated justly is powerful in its presentation. Kiwi acting legend Rena Owen brings out Cooper’s strength in her later life as she works to lead her people on the famous hikoi march, and she’s one tough old lady who makes sure that the right things are seen too.

For the citizens of Aotearoa New Zealand, Whina is a powerful and impactful film. Its historical lessons on the nation’s history and those who stood up for what is right in it will make it an endearing watch to all who see it. Napier Roberston and Whetu Jones bring meticulous attention to detail in their presentation of this picture, and this focus on presenting this important part of history is sure to leave an impact on audiences.

For audiences who are seeking to celebrate Matariki and its blessings of a new season and a new year, Whina makes for the perfect watch. A tribute to an important and dignified woman who worked to make Aotearoa New Zealand a place for all people, Whina is a touching and moving tribute to her character, strength and the values that she maintained over her life.

Image: Transmission Films

The post ‘Whina’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.