Mārama: Movie Review

Cast: Ariāna Osborne, Toby Stephens, Umi Myers, Errol Shand, Jordan Mooney
Director: Taratoa Stappard

Brutally evocative and impressively stark, Mārama's gothic edges are hard to deny in this powerfully told tale that meshes both revenge and coming of age.

A vulnerable yet strong Osborne is Mary Stevens, who's travelled for 73 days via boat to North Yorkshire to learn about her parents after receiving a letter from a benefactor offering her the fare and the hint of details.

Exhausted from the trip, she finds herself welcomed by Nathaniel Cole, a charismatic lord of the manor whose intentions seem true, but who upsets Mary with his obliqueness.

With a feckless son, a young 9 year old girl in need of a governess and a moko-wearing "Uncle" (nicknamed as a koro) in the house, nothing feels quite right to Mary. But, as she edges closer to the truth of her lineage, something from her past is emerging with terrifying consequences.

Mārama is blistering filmmaking, a wonderfully atmospheric film that's a trailblazing debut for director Taratoa Stappard.

Despite a small cast and few locations, Mārama never feels small in scope or execution. There are constant visual surprises and cues, as well as wideshot vistas to convey a sense of space and an unease therein. This is a movie that thrives on visual creativity and in parts, feels like a painting brought vividly to life.

Yet, it's also the compact two hander between Stephens and Osborne that adds much to this. As a battle of wills emerges, Osborne does much to channel a butterfly forced to burst out from from its chrysalis by tragedy. There's one scene which has much power channeled by her and it's as terrifying in its execution as it is impressive in its acting.

But it's director Stappard who emerges as a major talent here. Scenes flow beautifully and there's an unease that's sickening to behold in one particular sequence alone. As it builds to a terrifying crescendo, Stappard never loses his grip on where it's going - and how it's going to get there.

Carefully shot and precisely executed, Mārama is claustrophobic, deeply unsettling and will leave you wrapped in its power and grip for hours after you've seen it.