Inspired by stories from New Zealand’s boys’ homes and the early history of our gangs, Savage follows Danny (Jake Ryan) across three decades of his life, taking a deeper look at a boy who grows into the brutal enforcer of a gang, to understand how he got there.

In Savage, director Sam Kelly takes audiences inside the hidden subculture of New Zealand’s gangland and produces a historically accurate portrait of how it evolved and those men who find their lives shaped by it. Audiences need to be forewarned that Kelly doesn’t pull any punches with either his film’s subject matter or narrative, and his eye for cultural relevance and authenticity makes the film that much more engaging. As a director, he holds nothing back about these characters, or the scars that have shaped them, and all of it leads to an incredibly compelling watch.

Beginning in 1965 and culminating in 1989, Kelly’s Savage charts the story of Danny (Jake Ryan) and his journey to becoming Damage, the brutal enforcer of an outlaw criminal gang, The Savages. Through this unique narrative structure that covers three distinct time periods of 1965, 1972 and 1989, Kelly is able to produce a thoroughly intimate and layered portrait of Danny’s life and the events that push him into claiming a patch. This film is both shaped by drama and history and Kelly doesn’t shy away from any of it as he gets to the very core of Danny’s trauma, along with the physical, mental and emotional violence that has shaped him, and these moments hit with the force of a ball pin hammer.

A huge contributing factor to Savage’s power over the audience and the reaction that it creates in them stems from the level of authenticity that Kelly brings to his subject matter. Cultural advisor Wayne Hapi (The Dark Horse) was an integral collaborator to Kelly and together these two, with their large and passionate team, got everything right. Everything just fits together in Savage. Key to this was the film’s casting which drew from the local community and added that quintessential realness that Kelly wanted to capture on-screen. Three amazing performances that came out of this included young stars Olly Presling and James Matamua who portray Damage at ages 10 and 16, along with Alex Raivaru who portrays the film’s chief antagonist Tug, who is gunning for Moses’s president patch and is willing to run through Damage to get it. This focus on local casting and dedication to the real made all the difference for Savage and it shows up on the screen.

A team of behind-the-scenes talent also made a big impact on the final product of Savage. From the film’s location setting and production design of Chris Elliot to the rugged and intimidating wardrobe of Bob Buck to the imposing and incredibly realistic hair and make-up of Stefan Knight. All of this on-screen detail comes together perfectly to capture this unseen world.

Capturing the events of Savage is cinematographer James L. Brown and he brings a unique earthy palette of browns, greens, greys and blacks to the surface of this film that helps to raise its edge and the ferocity of the picture. Also to be factored into Savage’s impressive tone is the sound design of Nick Buckton which firmly places you in this loud world of unhinged aggression, while composer Arli Liberman’s haunting, yet melodious soundtrack is a touching piece of work that helps to take audiences deeper into Danny/Damage’s psyche and the fractured emotions that he feels.

Leading Savage from the front is Australian actor Jake Ryan, and he brings tremendous gravitas to the role of Danny aka Damage. As the Sgt. At Arms, Damage is the gang’s resident enforcer and is feared and loathed by all those around him. He’s a man who has a talent for violence, but who is now beginning to falter due to internal conflict, alongside his scarred emotional state. While Ryan is an absolute beast in the role and cuts an intimidating figure as the patched gang leader his real strength is the emotional complexity that he gives to Damage and his ability to draw out this man’s own internal demons and conflicted headspace.

While it’s easy to see Damage as a simple monster. A literal walking Frankenstein’s Monster who has been let off his chain to cause chaos, Ryan makes him a completely 360 person who is not devoid of emotion or feelings and longs for the chance to finally go home. Ryan’s performance will cut audiences deep to the bone with its layered detail and he presents a very grey character who is neither good nor bad but exists in the middle. Power, presence and bravery permeate in Ryan’s performance as Damage, and it’s clear that as a performer he has incredible mana that bears an important influence over his choices as an actor in the role of Damage, and this character and Ryan’s performance, is certain to remain with the audience.

Providing backup to Ryan’s Damage is noted New Zealand performer John Tui as gang president Moses. Tui’s performance is unique here and channels the conflicted nature of this sub-culture and the brotherhood that exists within it. Having known Danny since he was young, Moses is his literal blood brother and the two of them have created their own empire together where they can be kings. But the times are changing and it soon becomes apparent that what they built won’t last forever. Tui’s performance is far less stern than Ryan’s and he’s very much the life and soul of the party as Moses, albeit still being able to resort to extreme violence when necessary. With Moses what we are seeing is very much the idea of the King in his twilight and this places him at odds with his sworn blood brother Damage. Tui has a great back and forth with Ryan and each actor feeds off the others performance and leads to an interesting examination of Kiwi masculinity and its place within this environment.

Thematically Savage plays with and examines some big ideas and these are sure to hit audiences hard. Issues of family, loyalty, identity and past trauma come into play here and Kelly and his stars don’t hold back in the expression of them. The world that Savage is set in is an uncomfortable one and Kelly doesn’t sugar coat any of it, and this only hastens the effect of the film on the audience. Through it audiences can learn not to judge a book by its cover, and that sometimes the masks that certain individuals wear are actually hiding far more personal issues. Savage is a rallying cry to listen, learn and heal and by its closing credits, audiences will have seen this brutal yet broken man having undergone a serious journey that changes him for good, and who for the first time in his life might finally find some sense of peace within his life.

Savage is an utterly triumphant piece of cinema that hits audiences deep with its layered narrative and complex character. It’s a raw piece of cinema that doesn’t let up for a moment, and its heartfelt character study of one man’s journey home is sure to resonate with all New Zealander’s in the most poignant way possible. It absolutely is required viewing.

Image: MadMan Films

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

A Tongan-New Zealand entrepreneur returns to his old neighbourhood and inadvertently causes the theft of his late father’s valued pro wrestling title belt. Failing to retrieve it, his only choice is to embrace his father’s legacy.

New Zealander Kiel McNaughton makes his directorial debut here with The Legend of Baron To’a, and his focus on crafting a film that delivers plenty of action, along with a narrative that touches on Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth and charts the journey home of a long lost son as he reconciles with the spirit and legacy of his father. Local audiences will be in heaven with this quintessential Kiwi film, that delivers the feel-good fun that Aoteora cinema has come to imbue, along with also providing audiences with a serious  smackdown volt of energy. McNaughton’s debut film is both a full-on rush of action and a heart moving family drama, and those lucky enough to witness it will experience the full emotional palette that is a strong part of any rewarding piece of cinema. It’s obvious that The Legend of Baron To’a was a passion project of great importance for McNaughton and it’s this passion that shines through on the big screen.

Taking on the lead role of ‘the face’ in The Legend of Baron To’a is Uli Latukefu as Fritz, a young Tongan-New Zealander who has spent many years away from his homeland, pursuing an all together different type of life and who upon his return home comes face to face with his future and culture. Latukefu is 6’6 of twisted steel and sex appeal and he certainly cuts a heroic figure in the part of Fritz. Pulled into the growing tension of a block that’s about to explode he becomes a Rocky Balboa figure in his quest to rise to the occasion and stand-up to a host of bag guy heels who threaten everything that is good in his neighbourhood. The Legend of Baron To’a is a terrific debut for Latukefu and he makes a definite impact on the audience with a committed performance and I firmly believe we’ll see a lot more of this leading man down the road.

Providing a spirit for Latukefu’s Fritz to follow is veteran Kiwi actor John Tui who stars as the titular Baron To’a, the greatest pound-for-pound wrestler New Zealand has ever produced and who is a moral centre for the community and his son to follow. Tui has a terrific charisma that he displays as Baron To’a, and he proves himself to be a capable father and protector of his community. The Baron has a strong centre for what is right and does everything in his power to set the example for Fritz to follow and Tui’s commitment to the character and what he represents is powerful. In the film’s most moving scene where Fritz and the Baron come face-to-face, Tui’s command of this narrative shines through and he leaves an incredible character for others to aspire to be like.

While this character narrative of the relationship between a father and son is integral to the success of The Legend of Baron To’a, we must also not forget that this is a film heavy on the wrestling. AND IT DELIVERS! Channelling both a love for WWE, along with a love for the staples of the classic wrestling series On The Mat, The Legend of Baron To’a delivers all the smackdown and there’s some serious heavy-hitting on display. From an assortment of jabs and roundhouse kicks to massive body slams and the always impressive piledriver, The Legend of Baron To’a cranks up the action and wrestling fans will dig whats on offer. Add in the sweet tunes of local artists such as SWIDT and Church & AP and you’ve got a great mixture of fun going on!

The Legend of Baron To’a is a great new addition to the New Zealand cinema scene and audiences will find themselves completely moved thanks to a solid narrative and characters. This film is a credit to the passion of those artists who brought it to life, and it’s a film that Kiwi audiences can truly cherish.

Image: MadMan Films

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