REVIEW: River the real star of River Queen

THE Whanganui River is the true star of Vincent Ward's hard-born River Queen.
The river was there throughout with its many moods, a much-need constant in what was a fast-flickering film.
Samantha Morton's Sarah loses her only son to the whanau of her dearly departed Maori lover.
She sets off upriver in a pursuit that takes years and, as she closes the gap, the land wars between colonial forces and Maori overtake her.
A disjointed and jumpy start didn't set the scene or render the characters as deeply as it should have.
Editing was as much to blame as Moreton's unconvincing performance.
When she wonders aloud why she is going to heal rebel chief Te Kai Po (Temuera Morrison) the audience does too. Her motivations and emotions are confused and as muddy as Whanganui floodwaters.
Things picked up, though, after the first quarter, mainly due to the tension created as the two forces came into contact rather than any chemistry between the leads.
The clashes between the militia and Maori were the film's strongest suit and a realistic portrayal of New Zealand colonial bush warfare ? probably a cinematic first and commendable. Fantastic if you love fisticuffs.
The scenery this unfolds in looks wonderful and the river was an effective mood tool: muddied and ugly when things looked bad, deep and unfathomable during Maori mystic prayer and running strong in the few happy scenes.
The bush is instantly recognisable as that on the river and the period costumes and sets are excellent.
Rawiri Pene, as Sarah's Boy, does well ? in particular his switch from smart-mouthed man-boy to terrified child during one bush battle.
Highlights included Wanganui's own Stephen Reweti, who was a fearsome prospect and a very scary kupapa Queen's Maori warrior.
Maori culture gets a fantastic airing (thanks in part to a lot of good work from the extras with haka and song) and the film's international showing should see cultural tourism dollars coming this way.
Kiefer Sutherland as Sarah's militia solider friend was good, but his character's relevance faded quickly, as if the part never came off as intended.
The fast-becoming-fabled fall-out between Moreton and Ward must have had something to do with this and the film's other shortcomings; Ward's departure from the set must have removed the only over-riding vision (he also wrote the script).
Anton Lesser as the colonial army chief was perfect and could have been made more of and Cliff Curtis as Boy's uncle was another strong current.
Overall, some good concepts ?some of which came off.
Another film of this genre should be made, perhaps with a script taken directly from the quality Maurice Shadbolt novels this film appears to be trying to channel.