White Lies

2013
7| 1h36m| en
Details

A medicine woman - a giver of life - is asked to hide a secret which may protect one life but which will destroy another.

Director

Producted By

South Pacific Pictures

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Reviews

ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!
Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
debonator I could not stop watching this anymore than one can put a good book down. the best dialogue and story line, I found the energy medicine and the symbolism powerful, transporting me back to time and place, very moving.
goldsharktooth What makes for a successful life? What are people prepared to do to be accepted within what they perceive to be a successful life? To claim a life they think is of a better quality than what they are born to. Being of mixed blood, what makes one more or less of which lineage?We are taken into the lives of 3 feminine roles in Colonial NZ. One (Whirimako Black) is a childless old Crone, full blood Maori, who is unlawfully practising medicinal rites like those of a Tohunga, but in Midwifery - flouting The Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 which was intended to stop people using traditional Māori healing practices which had a spiritual element. Another, (Rachel House), middle-aged Mother ("half-caste") is living the life of a slave/servant to the third, (Antonia Prebble) the Maiden wife ("1/4 cast") an upper-class English-European wife. In their roles, which one is suffering most? Which one has given up the wild feminine? Which one is the slave? Which one is free? Who is living a successful and happy life? These are the questions that are tackled within the film. Little love is expressed between the 3, but cloaked in silence, the love runs deep regardless and the sacrifices made are proof of the love, albeit misguided and ultimately destructive.The cycle has come full circle since colonial days. Not belonging to either culture is often not acknowledged because we live in a world whereby we judge instantly, unconsciously, like judging a book by the cover. Once upon a time ... opposites attract. The racial divide is still running deep on our shores from all shades of brown & white, even though there are no full blooded EnglishKiwi or MaoriKiwi left among us.An interesting topic and subject to reflect upon Colonial NZ society. Many mixed marriages were openly accepted and the life of a settler was hard no matter what colour the skin. In the case of the film though, this is not ordinary settlers we are dealing with. This is rich elite English-European society and old time Maori.The most encompassing sentence was that of Rachel House when she spoke of not belonging to either culture.I liked the whimsical nature of the film, the romantic white horse, the dog, the art deco elements within the homestead, the silk and fires. I am going to find the novella by Witi Ihimaera - Medicine Woman, from Ask The Posts Of The House. John Psathas music was lovely as usual.
dennis-j-hogan This was a superb film highlighting the clash of cultures and the ramifications resulting therefrom. In this case, it is a clash between traditional Maori and English colonial cultures. What is the value of culture and what is the price of conformity? It is a well-developed movie. The acting was very good. The characterization was rigid and predictable based upon a viewer's initial observation of the characters and their respective roles, which actually enhanced the maintenance of the secret until late in the movie. Clues are provided that almost reach the level of red-herrings, but they are real clues with multiple interpretations that become clear as the movie progresses. All is not as it originally seems.I happened to be on an Air New Zealand flight that offered a selection of New Zealand-made films or I probably never would have had the opportunity to see this excellent film. If I had a vote, it would get my vote for best foreign film.
jan-paul I had no hesitation in giving this film 10 out of 10. I thought it was extraordinary, as did everyone else in the cinema. Everyone sat respectfully and watched the credits roll and comments heard as we left the cinema were without exception complimentary. What a story - quite dark but very moving as we see the collision of two cultures. I believe White Lies has the potential to win Viewers' Choice Awards at film festivals. There was not a false note in it for me, although some may find Antonia Prebble's character quite rigid - but she needed to be. I am going to see this film again later this week, and it's not often that I do that.