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IMDbPro

Predicament

  • 2010
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
236
YOUR RATING
Predicament (2010)
ComedyCrime

Coming of age crime comedy set in 1930's New Zealand. Adaptation of the Ronald Hugh Morrieson novel.Coming of age crime comedy set in 1930's New Zealand. Adaptation of the Ronald Hugh Morrieson novel.Coming of age crime comedy set in 1930's New Zealand. Adaptation of the Ronald Hugh Morrieson novel.

  • Director
    • Jason Stutter
  • Writers
    • Ronald Hugh Morrieson
    • Jason Stutter
  • Stars
    • Jemaine Clement
    • Heath Franklin
    • Hayden Frost
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    236
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jason Stutter
    • Writers
      • Ronald Hugh Morrieson
      • Jason Stutter
    • Stars
      • Jemaine Clement
      • Heath Franklin
      • Hayden Frost
    • 7User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 6 nominations total

    Photos4

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    Top cast17

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    Jemaine Clement
    Jemaine Clement
    • Spook
    Heath Franklin
    • Mervyn Toebeck
    Hayden Frost
    • Cedric Williamson
    Tim Finn
    • Martin Williamson
    Rose McIver
    Rose McIver
    • Maybelle
    Edward Newborn
    • Detective Huggins
    David Van Horn
    David Van Horn
    • Officer Dawson
    Chad Mills
    • Blair Bramwell
    Brooke Williams
    Brooke Williams
    • Margot Bramwell
    Peter Mochrie
    Peter Mochrie
    • Vernon Bramwell
    Carmel McGlone
    • Rita Zombroni
    Hadleigh Walker
    • Ernie Fox
    James Fletcher
    • Winker Sanderson
    Tina Grenville
    • Granny Williamson
    • (as Tina Grenville-Cagwin)
    Dennis Hally
    • Constable #1
    John Harding
    • Preacher Fanthorp
    Kendra O'Brien
    • Extra
    • Director
      • Jason Stutter
    • Writers
      • Ronald Hugh Morrieson
      • Jason Stutter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews7

    5.3236
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    Featured reviews

    4kiwigoldfish

    Why oh Why?

    The cringe factor is definitely back in New Zealand cinema. This could have been a fantastic story (in fact, the book was.) Betrayal. Blackmail. Dysfunctional characters. Humour. Intrigue. Murder.

    But somehow it just didn't hold together. The characters were too stereotypical and evoked too much cringe factor (with the exception of Jemaine Clement's Spook, who injected some genuine fun into the film.) The script lacked a vision for capturing the darkness of the themes of the film (or conversely lacked sufficient humour to make up for the lack of darkness.) Overall it was too light hearted for the themes covered in the story - a story of blackmail, revenge and murder. Such a story required a liberal dose of black humour, but the script barely delves into somewhat-grey humour.

    There are genuinely funny moments. But overall it was a disappointment and a missed opportunity to translate Morrieson's dystopian world to the screen.
    8Daphne_Moran

    Ripping yarn

    Set in a stylised 1930s New Zealand that we wish we'd had, Jason Stutter's PREDICAMENT manages to be both faithful to the book on which its based, the period in which its set and to tip its hat to plenty of movies made since that time (it would be silly to ignore them!).

    Lonely and awkward (nerdy, in today's parlance) teenager Cedric (Hayden Frost) is delighted to be befriended by burly blowhard Mervyn Toebeck (Heath Franklin), but it isn't long before he's starting to regret inviting the freeloading oaf into his family home. When Mervyn's old chum The Spook (Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement, in a scene-stealing turn) starts hanging around and suggesting voyeurism and blackmail, things get quickly out of Cedric's depth.

    The film is not slave to a page by page adaptation of the book. It rearranges a handful of key elements from the source novel -- mostly for chronology reasons -- and ventures, with sensitivity and success, into some of the psychology of Cedric's father (Tim Finn) and the tower he's building.

    The film looks terrific, and is shot with a larger than life verve that captures the period but not without contemporary punch. It rolls along with tawdry fun and plenty of laughs -- particularly when Clement's Spook is playing off Franklin's Mervyn.

    At times the fluid turns of the plotters' scheme may befuddle viewers unfamiliar with Ronald Hugh Morrieson's novel, but the character colour and unflagging likability of the puppyish Cedric will keep most people engaged until all the strands come together at the end.

    Stutter's script is a lucid and thoughtful adaptation of a difficult book to adapt; Simon Raby's cinematography is superb; Clement is, as usual, batty fun. Aussie Franklin sometimes has trouble getting long tracts of period kiwi dialogue out 100% convincingly and Tim Finn is, oddly, better when he's being less kooky later in the film ... but the film is satisfying result for a film that's taken a long time to reach the screen and a fitting companion to the Came a Hot Friday and Scarecrow adaptations.
    1walk35

    Disappointing

    Saw this last night and it was a massive disappointment. First of I wanted to say that I think Stutter is a talented director, in terms of his visual skills - as the art direction and camera work was first rate. However the story, and casting was a major let down and left a lot to be desired. Like any young director Stutter needed to hit some what of a home run, to get another chance at bat - but after seeing this film I think that he'd struggle. It's been just over a week now since it's release and it's almost finished it theatrical run in Auckland. Which is another way of saying, this is a major box office flop - anyone who says otherwise is in dreamland.

    The choice of story, just struck me as weird. Why as a young director would you choose an obscure local novel, set decades ago as the basis of your first flick? Surely he could have found something more relevant. Clement had some moments, but the other two leads weren't strong enough to carry the story. Overall I thought it wasn't funny enough to be comedy, and not interesting enough to work as a crime drama.
    7kingstonkid

    Predicament - a great film!

    Predicament was a thoroughly enjoyable film. Set in 1930's small town New Zealand and adapted from a Ronald Hugh Morrison novel of the same name, Predicament is a hard film to categorize as it touches on many genres. The overall theme of the film is a crime drama, with a fantastic comedy element woven throughout, which kept the plot intriguing and the characters quirky. What makes the casting and story really interesting is that the main character Cedric (film newcomer Hayden Frost), even when partnered with two fantastic comedy heavyweights Flight of the Conchords Jemaine Clement, and Heath (Chopper) Franklin, never gets lost in the cast or upstaged as the main character. Both Spook (Jemaine) and Mervyn (Heath) provide lots of character personality, features & flaws that Cedric's character doesn't have, which creates an unlikely trio of mischief that never lets up from the opening to the closing credits. All the supporting actors are great too, including kiwi icon Tim Finn, who plays a great character that adds to poor Cedric's woes. I love fun films and that is exactly what Predicament delivers - by the spade full. Amazing sets, cars & costumes all come to life in the rich vivid colourful directing by Jason Stutter.

    My whole family watched predicament when it opened the NZ film festival, and we all loved the film, including my "tweenage" kids who would have been some of the youngest in the audience, yet they too said it was now one of their favourite films. Predicament is a gem of a movie in that it delivered everything I could want from a film - great story, great laughs, great suspense and set to a fantastic musical score, with a catchy new Tim Finn song "Predicament" that I have been singing in my head ever since.
    8Marc_E_Ashton

    A thoroughly entertaining 'kiwi' take on a great kiwi novel

    Great to be taken on a good old fashioned, tongue in cheek, dark comedic ride.. Stand out performances from lead and support cast just add to the roller coaster!

    Encouraging to once again see a New Zealand film designed and shot with the cinema screen in mind, a credit to all involved!

    The film makers have obviously 'made the most' of their resources, Predicament definitely has a big picture feel

    Yet another example of the brave 'can do' ingenuity from independent NZ film makers.

    Fun to watch, having read the book!

    Thoroughly enjoyable, thank you!

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      Featured in The Making of Predicament (2011)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 26, 2010 (New Zealand)
    • Country of origin
      • New Zealand
    • Official sites
      • Official Press Kit
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Taranaki, New Zealand
    • Production company
      • Midnight Film Productions Limited
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross worldwide
      • $111,003
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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