The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell

Directed by Brendan Donovan

Written by Brendan Donovan and David Brechin-Smith

***

Howick teenager Mark is a champion go-karter, with pipsqueak younger brother Ed hot on his tail.  Enthusiastic dad Gazza is their coach, mechanic, bankroll and support team, and determined that Mark’s talent should get him on the track to formula one racing in Europe.

But when tragedy strikes the Snell family, their united front crumbles.  Drifting apart in a string of blame, misunderstandings, and mishandled situations, everyone has something to hide.

I still feel guilty for not supporting The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell during its cinema run, but that says something in itself: watching a petrol-fuelled melodrama just did not appeal to me, even if it was local product.  When the DVD was released, my homework was set, and I was relieved to find things to enjoy.

Donovan’s debut feature was filmed in East Auckland, and as a slice of Howick life it succeeds admirably: the landmarks, stereotypes and humour are all true to form, and probably the most appealing thing about the film.  The supporting cast have some excellent material to work with, and if the subplots are a little unfocussed, it is only because the film is rich with detail and trying to say too much.

The first-time actors and real-life brothers playing the Snell boys are both fantastic, although given their extreme dissimilarity to their screen parents I was wondering if an adoption subplot would unwind.  Joel Tobeck deftly walks the fine line between hero and villain as a trusted family friend, and Robyn Malcolm gives her all as the long suffering Gail, at the end of her tether with irresponsible Gazza.

Which is where it all falls down.  As far as problems go, an unlikeable title character trumps all.  Gazza is a dreamer, an adult who needs to grow up and address what his hopes and dreams should really be – but instead of roguish and blokey, he comes across selfish, boorish, and destructive.  The antics which I assume were meant to provoke a laugh of recognition instead had me hoping Gazza would lose everything, just to serve him right.

The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell has largely been an audience pleaser, to those who have made the effort to see it, and any Kiwi looking for their stories on the big screen will find something worth watching.  Donovan has a unique voice, as proven with his two Insider’s Guide television series, and although he hasn’t quite hit the mark here I will be looking out for his next film.

Keen on cars?  Try a modern Kiwi classic - Florian Habicht’s acclaimed feature length documentary Kaikohe Demolition follows colourful local characters through a year’s demolition derbies in the far north.  It’s packed with flavour, humour and car wrecks, and full of cheeky charm.

Into the Wild (2007)

Written and directed by Sean Penn

From the book by Jon Krakauer

***** 

A raw, inspiring and ultimately tragic true story, sensitively adapted for the screen, beautifully shot and accented with haunting original songs, Into the Wild was the hit of the festival circuit the year of its release.

Pieces of story are puzzled together to focus on Christopher Johnson McCandless, a bright young graduate of a prestigious university, the toast of his parents and adored by his younger sister. Troubled under his pretence of normality, Chris pulls a disappearing act, shucking off the constraints of society and hitting the road in search of the greater meaning of life.

Travelling through beautiful landscapes, placed in front of the viewer like canvases, Emile Hirsch plays livewire Chris thoughtfully and with great energy. A mix of profundity and young man’s egotism, Chris chooses the alias Alexander Supertramp and journeys where the mood takes him. He tests himself against the elements and new experiences, aiming to see and taste all he can. People are incidental to his journey, and although he had a deep impact on many of the characters he met, he was always able to separate himself from them in pursuit of something larger.

Poetically narrated from both the perspective of Chris, the escapee, and his sister Carine (Jena Malone,) representing those he left behind, the film delves into the ways people make sense of life. The two story strands weave together, making piercing observations so startling they seem the most extreme truth and clearest message we’ve ever heard.

Carried along on Chris’s journey, we glory in the outdoors as he does, and an episode stopping off in LA helps us understand him – after the wide open spaces, free from constraint, the city feels like a trap, the fake smiling faces of its willing prisoners reminding him of his need to escape. Alaska becomes his ultimate goal, and when he enters the wilds and makes his final discoveries we are happy for him, and though touched, can almost forget to be concerned.

Into the Wild is a magnificent watch, concentrated without being heavily laid out, an astounding debut from the always introspective Sean Penn. Eddie Veder’s songs perfectly tap into the themes of the story, and the glorious photography of incredible locations transport us the rest of the way. Highly recommended.

Trainspotting (1996)

Directed by Danny Boyle

Written by John Hodge

From the novel by Irvine Welsh

Seen on DVD

***

Occasionally a film becomes so part of popular consciousness it defines the decade for those of the relevant age. Trainspotting was that seminal film for those of us leaving high school in the late nineties. Although we were too young to catch it on first release, having seen it gave you instant street-cred, and the poster on your wall was a marker of edgy cool.

A grungy film about drug addicts, with a legendary gross-out toilet scene? I wasn’t really interested, except for the hype - if that many people were talking about it, it was a film that had to be seen sooner or later. Obviously, I chose later. Coming across it on the comedy shelf of the DVD store fourteen years after its release finally made me give it a go.

Mark Renton is a wiry, shaven-headed young heroin addict, with a disparate bunch of mates, most also hooked on various drugs. Following Renton through several attempts to get clean, it becomes apparent his slips are caused by the bizarre code of honour binding him to his so-called friends. Even when seeing them for what they really are, he’s drawn back in, unable to shake his obligations to them.

This sense of honour makes Renton’s journey interesting, but it also makes his eventual break from the group more shocking. Although cheering for him to “choose life,” as the film’s tagline goes, his traitorous turn leaves me questioning whether he has really triumphed. Having kicked the habit, and his friends, has Renton really become a better person? Was his characteristic loyalty the price he had to pay, and what sort of person is he going to make without it?

This central, intriguing point is in part supported by the realistically sad stories which affect Renton: the straight friend getting sucked in and consumed by drugs, the tragic baby, the squalor, and the measures everyone must take to ensure constant supply of their drug – but somehow the circus of activity, comic filthiness, and humorous tirades make the important points incidental nuance rather than the focus of the story. This is essential if trying to brand an urban horror tale a comedy, and Danny Boyle’s creative, fast-paced direction and fantastic soundtrack choice show his intention to entertain rather than reflect.

A spectacular performance as Renton catapulted Ewan McGregor into stardom. Robert Carlyle is often singled out from the rest of the group for his portrayal of the psychotic Begbie, and he certainly had fun with the rich stories his over-the-top character wielded. As an ensemble the gang have deservedly gone down in history, and the movie remains a defining moment in British film.

Trainspotting was not McGregor and Boyle’s first movie together, it was just the one that made them famous. Just starting out in their careers, two years earlier McGregor acted in Boyle’s Shallow Grave. A twisted little thriller, it managed to just miss the mark in some indefinable way, but it’s an excellent watch.