The Insatiable Moon: Movie Review

The Insatiable Moon: Movie Review

The Insatiable Moon
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Rawiri Paratene, Sara Wiseman, Greg Johnson, Ian Mune
Director: Rosemary Riddell
Shot on a shoestring budget when the Film Commission passed, The Insatiable Moon became a labour of love for those involved.
It's the story of Arthur (a tremendous powerhouse performance from Rawiri Paratene) who believes he's the second son of God and who frequents a halfway house run by Greg Johnson's Bob in Auckland's suburb of Ponsonby.
However, Arthur's life becomes permanently intertwined with Sara Wiseman's social worker at a time when the boarding house is threatened with closure.
With residents galvanized into trying to save their home from those who've got closed minds, the clock begins to tick - and Arthur starts to unravel.
The Insatiable Moon is a story of heart and compassion, populated with some truly brilliant and crowd pleasing performances from the central cast.
It's got audience pleasing moments throughout as well as some laughs but it's Paratene's impishness and charm which sees this film from beginning to end; with big eyes and a disarming grin, he's the heart and soul of the Insatiable Moon - and manages to bind the whole thing together.
However, he's nearly upstaged by a simply brilliant Greg Johnson as the halfway house owner Bob and Wiseman who imbue their roles with such class, it's hard not to be swept along by this heartfelt tale which is inspired by actual characters.

While some may consider that the film looks a little cheap in places and there may be split opinions over the handling of mental illness, it's a real credit to those involved that this project got completed - and once you get over those criticisms, it's more than likely you'll find a film which may engage you in ways you'd never expected.