LightRaider

This is an independent film, not a Hollywood film. I recently had a chance to see it at the TriMedia Film Festival in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's a slow film, and slightly quirky, as is common in many independent films, but the characters are fairly well-developed characters and well-acted for the most part. As such, this is a character-driven film.

While the central plot element is the conflict between Flagg Purdy (Alan Arkin) and his lifelong friend and neighbor, Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton), the story is really about Flagg's family and forgiveness. Flagg is a stubborn, prideful man who is hard to get along with. Yet, members of his family come to visit at his request, even if reluctantly. Throughout the film, the actors effectively convey the strained relationships within the family, and much of the story is watching the interactions play out between them. In the end, there isn't so much resolution as there is progress, and a degree of hope.

I went to the World Premiere for Fracture on April 1, 2004. The movie started off a bit sluggish in terms of acting and figuring out what was going on. The movie was short in and around Wellington, New Zealand, and from the beginning, the setting has a familiar feel for Wellington residents, with some locations being more obvious than others. It doesn't take long for the initial action to transpire, and from that point, the movie portrays the struggles of two families and how their lives intersect. While some parts of the movie were more convincing than others, I found myself caring about the characters by the end, and that perhaps is what makes this movie a success. It's definitely not a Hollywood production, but that also lets it be a little more real in some ways. This outing has a lot more in common with New Zealand's Once Were Warriors than with Whale Rider. The characters endure their share of violence, and struggle to overcome. We see how families fall apart, but also how they pull together and care for one another.

Kate Elliott plays the central character of Leeanne Rosser. She is a single mother of 20 with a 1 year-old child, who is doing the best she can to raise and love her child, despite some challenges circumstances. Kate does a superb job in this role, and I found myself feeling sorry for her at many times, and being really happy when she succeeded. This was a difficult role to play, as she had to express many different types of emotions, and she did quite well.

Aussie Jared Turner played her brother Brent Rosser. Because of the lifestyle choices Brent has chosen, the relationship between Kate and Brent is strained, but Kate's character is the kind that does her best to care for those she loves. Brent's actions early on in the movie affect multiple characters negatively, though they affect him the most, as he hides inside himself. Jared's acting, due to the nature of the script, is primarily nonverbal, but fairly convincing. Mostly, he looks afraid and desperate, and the story shows what happens to a desperate person. Some aspects of it were over-the-top I think, but I could relate to his fear somewhat.

Not to be missed in this picture are some notable cast members. John Noble, most recently starring as Denethor in Lord of the Rings, plays patriarch Howie Peet. Director Larry Parr's son Julian Arahanga, perhaps best known as Apoc from The Matrix, plays Detective Harawira. Popular New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis, who had parts in both Whale Rider and Once Were Warriors, among others, plays Inspector Franklin. You can find more information about the film at the New Zealand Film Commission's website, who helped produce the film.