Sione's Wedding

For a slice of life (or larger than life) in the Samoan community, Sione's Wedding is a perfect vehicle. Of course it's over the top, but in all caricatures there are some truths.

Four guys, well past their sell-by date, habitually spoil community celebrations with their drunken bad manners. The minister of the Samoan church tells them they are banned from the next wedding, (Sione's) unless they can bring partners - women being considered to have a calming influence on Samoan men. Ha!

And the film is about the various ways they try to find dates. The old double-standard applies of course: Michael can sleep with a different girl every night (some of them married) and be regarded as a bloke to look up to. When a Samoan girl arrives from the Islands and shows the same sort of tendencies, Hello! She's a tramp.

There's the guy whose drinking is spoiling his relationship with his live-in, and the hopeless dreamer who haunts the personal ads for his "ideal girl", and the "wimp" (who does not come across as wimpy at all) scared of women and living with his Mama well into his 30's.

If you watched this and the movie "No2" you'll get the impression Pacific Islands people are into power-control, macho and alcohol (not that it is confined to PI, but this is what these films highlighted) so it's a shame that in Sione's Wedding, they did not balance that, (as in No.2) with some of the more positive aspects of PI life.

There was the obligatory derogatory reference to a fat person (the way most bad films get a cheap laugh these days) In this case one of the guys took a plump girl to bed and a thin chick later said, 'Euw, you slept with Sasquatch?' Great stuff.

However, one of the funniest lines from the movie (and this will give you the level of humour it relied upon) was with the same big girl,

'You told me you were a Size 14.'

'I am.' '

'Your feet maybe.'

This portrays Samoans the way 'Once Were Warriors' portrayed Maori. In other words there is a *grain* of truth in it but the characters are so stereotyped as to be laughable - where laughter isn't appropriate. And sad where it is.

I've given it such high marks because there is such a rich pattern in the movie, it has so much between the lines, it's the kind of film you think about later and notice lots of underlying themes and messages which don't, at first, strike you. So it's well worth the dollars.

Just watched the movie and reckon its one of the better flicks to be released in NZ for a good few years. Oscar and the boys (and all the babeliscious wahines ) should feel proud that they've all made a totally cool film.

We definitely need more films like this, as its a complete break from all those over the top, no brain, action farces that Hollywood spews out each year.

This story is hip, its vibrant, its not over done or fake. Its all about the social problems and silly situations that we all get ourselves into at one time or another, oh and did I mention funny?

The actors all did a great job, and watching them play their parts was great fun, especially the Palagi home boy wannabe.......what a crack up!!! this movie is champion, blardy champion!!

Thanx to the director and cast for entertaining us, and for showcasing the rich cultural stylez of our Pacific Island brothers and sisters, I cant wait for the sequel.

I just came back from the Blenheim Cinema and all I could think of was to tell as many people as I could that I just watched a totally brilliant kiwi film. The film is more or less about 4 Samoan friends in their thirties and their quest to find a date to bring with them to Sione's (Pua Magasiva) wedding. The film is a brilliant portrayal of life in the contemporary Samoan community of Auckland, sort of reinforcing the stereotypical Kiwi Samoan guy. This film reminds me a lot of Australia's 2000 film "The Wog Boy" which is centered around the antics of a couple of guys from Melbourne's Italian & Greek community which reinforces those ethnic stereotypes as well.

I found Oscar Knightley's performance as "Albert" a shy guy in his thirties who still lives with his mum to be totally outstanding, his acting was very genuine and convincing.

The story was strong and held together very well, the movie was very straight to the point without any needless scenes that causes the mind to wander.

The Cinematography was great, I love all the scenes of Auckland, really gave it that "Aucklandy feel" if you know what I mean.

I think New Zealand should be making more films based around the lives of the Pacific Islander communities, this would give the world a broader picture of life in contemporary New Zealand.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good comedy and at the same time would like a peek into the life and times of Auckland's Samoan community.

"Sione's Wedding" was pretty good. It wasn't an earth-shattering, pants-messing, orgasm-inducing, child-bearing, milk-out-the-nose, change-the-world-in-one-day epic, but it was still pretty good. Yes, the plot was predictable, some of the jokes were tired, not all of the acting was spectacular, but to expect something that changes the world is pretty unfair. There are HUGE stars and studio's who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to create a lot less. I rarely see a genre that is so divisive and inspires so much animosity as comedy. Why? Nothing places people more squarely into the "like" or "absolutely hate" category.

I found "Sione's Wedding" to be a good story about men, who just happen to be Samoan, who have a typical "Peter-pan complex" and are rebelling against growing up every chance they get until they actually see the benefit of maturity and wisdom. This is a common and modern theme. Some of the moments were genuinely touching and some of the jokes really really funny.

I can tell you this, though, it is the only full-length motion picture comedy with a fully Samoan ensemble cast that I've ever seen, at least here in the states. Doesn't this account for something? Not bad for a first try, I say.

This was such an awesome movie, I enjoyed every minute of it, laughed my socks off!

If you loved Bro Town, you will love this. If you don't "get" Bro Town you won't "get" this movie.

This is one I will be buying on DVD as soon as it is out!

The boys show just how hard it can be to be taken seriously in that weird game of love.

It is also a good insight into the samoan community, how they love life and really put everything into a party!

The characters were so real and so funny! . Totally recommend!