The Dark Horse (2014 film)
The Dark Horse | |
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Poster for The Dark Horse | |
Directed by | James Napier Robertson |
Produced by | Tom Hern |
Written by | James Napier Robertson |
Starring | |
Music by | Dana Lund |
Cinematography | Denson Baker |
Edited by | Peter Roberts |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
Transmission Films Broad Green Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 124 minutes[2] |
Country | New Zealand |
Language | English |
Budget | NZD$3.5 million (approximately US$2.6 million) |
Box office | $1.9 million[3] |
The Dark Horse is a 2014 New Zealand drama film written and directed by James Napier Robertson and starring Cliff Curtis and James Rolleston. It won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Score at the 2014 New Zealand Film Awards, Best Film at the 2015 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), 2015 San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) and 2015 Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR), and was labeled by leading New Zealand critics as "One of the greatest New Zealand films ever made".[4][5] It premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and was created by production company Four Knights Film. The film was released theatrically in the U.S. by Broad Green Pictures on April 1, 2016.[6][7]
Plot
The Dark Horse is based on the real-life story of Genesis Potini, a brilliant, New Zealand chess player who suffered from severe bipolar disorder. Despite the challenges that came his way, Potini pushed forward to find his purpose in life by passing on his knowledge of chess to the community.[8]
Cast
- Cliff Curtis as Genesis
- James Rolleston as Mana
- Wayne Hapi as Ariki
- Kirk Torrance as Noble
- Miriama McDowell as Sandy
- Baz Te Hira as Mutt
- Xavier Horan as Jedi
- James Napier Robertson as Dave
- Digby Simpson as quarter-finalist
Real-life basis
The character Curtis plays, Genesis, is inspired by real-life Gisborne speed chess player and coach Genesis Potini, who died in 2011. By teaching local youth to play chess, he hoped to give them a positive focus in life and dissuade them from getting involved in gangs and crime. Potini struggled with bipolar disorder, requiring frequent hospital stays.[9] Potini had been the subject of a well received 2003 documentary film, Dark Horse.[10] At the request of director James Napier Robertson, Curtis gained close to 60 pounds in weight and stayed in character for the entirety of the shoot to play Genesis.[11] Napier Robertson also had Curtis study chess with some of Potini's erstwhile friends, including FIDE Master Ewen Green.[12]
Release and reception
The film has been met with near universal acclaim, film aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 97% "Certified Fresh" rating based upon 59 reviews.[13] Upon its premiere as the Opening Night film of the New Zealand International Film Festival on 17 July 2014,[14] The Dark Horse was declared by the RNZ National Review "One of the greatest New Zealand films ever made".[15] The film went on to become a New Zealand box office hit, grossing $2 million and receiving unanimously strong reviews. The New Zealand Herald rated it 5 stars, calling it "a great, deeply affecting movie", praising the "brave, assured and layered directing" and the "towering performance of Cliff Curtis".[16] It was released theatrically in Australia on November 20, 2014. The Australian called it "outstanding ... a Kiwi – and largely Maori – work of the highest artistic excellence";[17] the Sydney Morning Herald praised it as "possibly the best movie to come out of New Zealand since Once Were Warriors in 1994".[18] It premiered internationally at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[19] Variety calling it "exceptional...the most deserving cinematic export to emerge from New Zealand in years",[20] The Hollywood Reporter announcing it "certain to attract awards attention",[21] and Indiewire grading it an 'A', praising it as "moving and incredibly humanistic."[22] It has been scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in 2015.
Awards and Nominations
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Performance by an Actor | Cliff Curtis | Won | [23] |
2014 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards | Best Film | The Dark Horse | Won | [24] | |
Best Director | James Napier Robertson | Won | |||
Best Screenplay | James Napier Robertson | Won | |||
Best Actor | Cliff Curtis | Won | |||
Best Supporting Actor | James Rolleston | Won | |||
Best Score | Dana Lund | Won | |||
Best Supporting Actor | Wayne Hapi | Nominated | |||
Best Make-Up | Jane O'Kane | Nominated | |||
Best Costume Design | Kristin Seth | Nominated | |||
Best Editing | Peter Roberts | Nominated | |||
Best Sound | Chris Todd, Nick Buckton, Fred Enholmer, Tim Chaproniere | Nominated | |||
Best Production Design | Kim Sinclair | Nominated | |||
Best Cinematographer | Denson Baker | Nominated | |||
New Zealand Writers Guild | Best Feature Film | The Dark Horse | Won | [25] | |
2015 | Art Film Fest | Best Director | James Napier Robertson | Won | [26] |
Best Film | The Dark Horse | Nominated | |||
Dublin Film Critics' Circle | Best Actor | Cliff Curtis | Won | [27] | |
Best Film | The Dark Horse | Nominated | |||
Heartland Film Festival | Truly Moving Picture Award | The Dark Horse | Won | [28] | |
International Film Festival Rotterdam | Audience Award | James Napier Robertson | Won | [29] | |
MovieZone Award | The Dark Horse | Won | |||
Munich Film Festival | Best International Film | The Dark Horse | Nominated | [30] | |
Best Film By An Emerging Director | James Napier Robertson | Nominated | |||
Seattle International Film Festival | Best Film | The Dark Horse | Won | [31] | |
Best Actor | Cliff Curtis | Won | |||
San Francisco International Film Festival | Best Film | The Dark Horse | Won | [32] | |
Palm Springs International Film Festival | Audience Award | The Dark Horse | Won | [33] | |
Washington DC Film Festival | Commendation | The Dark Horse | Won | [34] | |
St Tropez International Film Festival | Best Film | The Dark Horse | Won | [35] | |
References
- ↑ "The Dark Horse". Four Knights Film. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- ↑ "THE DARK HORSE (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ "THE DARK HORSE". Boxofficemojo. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- ↑ http://archive.channelmag.co.nz/channel-features-mainmenu-8/webpage-3715/seeing-the-light-behind-the-dark-horse
- ↑ "Film review with Dan Slevin". Radio New Zealand National. 24 July 2014.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony. "Broad Green Dates Three: 'I Smile Back', 'The Dark Horse', Malick's 'Knight Of Cups'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ↑ Brennan, Matt. "Broad Green Sets Release Dates for Bryan Cranston's 'The Infiltrator,' Ewan McGregor's 'Last Days in the Desert'". Indie Wire. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ↑ Rutledge, Daniel. "New Zealand Film Festival 2014 To Open With THE DARK HORSE". Twitch Film. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ↑ Bevan, Darren (22 July 2014). "NZIFF Review - The Dark Horse". Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ↑ "Speed chess maestro of Ngati Porou stars in independent documentary". The Big Idea. 6 November 2003.
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2192016/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv
- ↑ http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/showarticle.aspx?article=93db6da1-082c-4d5b-b0e4-e5a2010caa33&key=Z9ZoLkOOLQRRuiHfqRcxiQ%3d%3d&issue=17512015010900000000001001
- ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_horse_2016/
- ↑ Preston, Nikki (17 July 2014). "New Cliff Curtis film Dark Horse at short odds". The New Zealand Herald.
- ↑ "Film review with Dan Slevin". Radio New Zealand National. 24 July 2014.
- ↑ Baillie, Russell (31 July 2014). "Movie review: The Dark Horse". The New Zealand Herald.
- ↑ Romei, Stephen (22 November 2014). "The Dark Horse: Maori lives caught up in chess and violence". The Australian. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Byrnes, Paul (21 November 2014). "The Dark Horse review: Triumphant game of life and death". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Schoettle, Jane. "The Dark Horse". TIFF. Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/film-review-the-dark-horse-1201409855/
- ↑ Rechtshaffen, Michael. "'The Dark Horse': Toronto Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Anderson, John (11 September 2014). "Toronto review: Cliff Curtis excels as a chess master in 'The Dark Horse'". Indiewire. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ↑ "8th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Award Winners". Asiapacificscreenacademy.com. 2014-12-11. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ Baillie, Russell (2014-12-12). "The Dark Horse sweeps NZ film awards". NZherald.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "SWANZ Winners & Finalists 2014". Nzwg.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "Art Film Fest 2015". Artfilmfest.sk. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ Clarke, Donald (2015-03-29). "The winners at JDIFF from the Dublin Film Critics Circle". Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award Archives". Heartlandfilm.org. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "Awards 2015". Iffr.com. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "Families, Westerns, Northwesterns". film-fest-muenchen.de. 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ "2015 Award Winners". Siff.net. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
- ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/69210058/The-Dark-Horse-and-Cliff-Curtis-win-film-awards-in-Seattle. Missing or empty
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