Kōkā : Movie Review

Cast: Hinetu Dell, Darneen Christian, Te Kohe Tuhaka
Director: Kath Akuhata-Brown

Released in time for the Māori New Year and with a venerable lead in Hinetu Dell, Kōkā has its heart in the right place – but a flawed execution of a thin story prevents it from really rising above good intentions.

Dell is Māori kuia elder Hamo who, as the film begins, appears to be on her death bed. Rising from it, Hamo leaves hospital only to inadvertently hit local delinquent Jo. Forced into helping her, Hamo's ripped off by Jo who steals her car, makes her an associate to theft and ultimately is robbed blind.

But when Hamo sees Jo is beaten in police custody, she takes her under her wing as they head to their ultimate destination, troubled as she is by past relationships and decisions.

Director Kath Akuhata-Brown's bilingual story is blessed with some uneven performances at best and a story that seems to have one foot in the spiritual world and one in a more broad brushstrokes world that borders at times on caricature. Consequently, while Dell delivers an earnestly studious and quiet performance, the film struggles with its own strength of identity.

Yet when it slows and moves into the wilds of New Zealand and away from some of its more broader moments, Kokā delivers a visually stunning (if occasionally overly CGI-rendered) world of stars in the sky and spiritual edges, perfect for the Matariki release date.

However, with a paper-thin story that wants to be both road movie and odd couple, along with the film's insistence in indulging its story holes, Kōkā feels like it could have been much more, a springboard for a discussion about poverty, generations and racism.

Yet, Kōkā fumbles some of those, dwelling on frustrating flashbacks that don't quite offer enough depth to supplement the story or help secure it in the pantheon of te reo Māori cinema.