There’s a whole lot of good stuff happening in Uproar, a sharp, funny, relatable comedy drama from New Zealand that’s every bit the feel-good, empowering film you’d hope for from this talent. Not just a backdrop for fantasy epics, New Zealand has found a worldwide comedy niche specifically through the work of Taika Waititi and the Flight of the Conchords team, and films like Eagle Vs Shark, Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. ‘We are just sheep in a maze designed by wolves’ is my favourite line to quote from that movie, but Waititi didn’t invent the country’s good humour, and Paul Middleditch’s Uproar shows there’s no monopoly; it’s got a firm identity that just dances off the screen.
After starring in Hollywood blockbusters Deadpool 2 and Godzilla vs Kong, Julian Dennison returns to playing a lead after his breakout in Wilderpeople, and he’s a personable, charming centre for any film. But there’s also primo support from Rhys Darby, the long-suffering Murray the tour manager from Conchords, and the only good thing about the wretched Jumanji films. Darby plays Brother Madigan, the drama teacher who takes misfit Josh Waaka (Dennison) under his wing at the less-than-diverse St Gilbert’s School for Men circa 1981.
There’s also some great casting as Josh’s mum, with a rare outing for Minnie Driver, who gives a stirring performance as mother Shirley who has tasted tragedy and prejudice, and is consequently prepared to fight for her whānau (family). She’s not only got Josh to take care of, but his older brother Jamie (James Rolleston) in their Dunedin suburb; with their Māori father dead, Jamie has suffered a crippling leg injury that keeps him out of the school team, and Josh’s build and attitude make him the most unlikely of replacements for his brother. Josh has a yearning to tread the boards, but in the face of a literal tough paper round to get through and a lack of encouragement from the school authorities, it feels like Josh Waaka is in danger of going nowhere fast…
That synopsis doesn’t cover one of the strongest suits here, which is a political dimension; the setting is specific, evoking the controversial rugby tour of the Springboks, a political lit-fuse due to the apartheid that still existed in South Africa at the time. Protest is what Josh, with a Māori parent and keen to impress activist Samantha (Erana James), wants to do, but his school expressly forbids it. This well-described political background adds an extra layer of meaning to Josh’s coming of age drama. It’s important that such stories are told and not forgotten; many symbolic battles don’t seem to have stuck in the era of monetised online hate, and it’s worth remembering why they were worth fighting in the first place.
Co-written by Hamish Bennett and Sonia Whiteman, and based on Middleditch’s personal experience, Uproar offers a strong protest narrative that runs alongside Josh’s desire to find his own way in the world and not kow-tow to the institution of his school. It’s a sympathetic plea for the right to protest against institutional racism, but it’s also very funny and peopled with likable actors playing likable characters. Add a delicious soundtrack of retro hits and a cool cover of Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over by Isaiah Firebrace and Stan Walker, and it’s got the whole package. There are standout roles for Dennison, Darby, Driver and the whole cast; embracing and understanding our recent history is the only way the world will ever change, one person at a time, and embracing the need for some Uproar is a big step in the right direction. In Scotland, we look at films like this and despair; 25 years of having our own Scottish Screen/Creative Scotland financing film production have produced precisely none films which allow us to depict or discuss our own history like this, but they’ve probably got more important things on their minds to do with our money…
Thanks to Greenwich Entertainment for access. Out March 15th in the US.
