Something to watch tonight: Friday 1 November
Balibo (Connolly, 2009)
Firstly, welcome to all the new subscribers brought here by a recommendation from Miranda Harcourt’s Substack, Notes for Actors. Miranda is one of New Zealand’s national treasures and arguably one of the finest acting coaches in the world. If acting is a thing that you are interested in, that newsletter is worth your time.
Secondly, tonight in Wellington F&S subscriber DD of Onehunga has the world premiere of his new film, Gut Instinct, as part of the annual Terror-Fi film festival. If you are free, I recommend a trip to the Roxy in Miramar at 6.15pm to have your mind blown. We were lucky enough to get a preview on Tuesday night and I can safely say that you have seen (and heard) nothing like this film. It plays Auckland’s Terror-Fi next Friday and Christchurch on the following Thursday,
Back to our regularly scheduled programming, I reviewed Balibo for Capital Times back in March 2010:
In October 1975, the obscure little Portuguese colony of East Timor was given independence after 400 years of European rule. A mixed Melanesian/Polynesian population was sitting on rich mineral and fossil fuel potential and surrounded on three sides by the region’s powerhouse, Indonesia (with Australia to the south). After only nine days of independence, Indonesia invaded in one of the most cynical and brutal land grabs in modern history.
The Indonesian armed forces, knowing that an invasion was a gross breach of international law, wore plain clothes and did everything they could to extinguish evidence and witnesses. The most celebrated victims of the atrocity were the Balibo 5, young Australian television journalists who were stranded in the border town of Balibo as the invasion began. Without the benefit of modern-day communications, they simply disappeared and the Australian government, who (along with the US) gave tacit approval to the entire horrible exercise.
Balibo, the feature film, is the story of the Balibo 5 told through the eyes of former crusading journalist (now on the skids) Roger East, played by Anthony LaPaglia. East arrives in Dili just before the invasion (the Balibo 5 disappeared while the Indonesians were still indulging in terrifying border skirmishes) and, with the help of Timorese leader (now President) José Ramos-Horta he searches for the truth until the Indonesians stop him, too, from telling the world what happened.
The Balibo atrocity, and the Indonesian invasion of Timor, gets a suitably powerful cinematic portrayal in Robert Connolly’s excellent film and heavyweight LaPaglia has never been better as the conscience-stricken hack who becomes the only link to the outside world. If I had any tiny criticism it might be that the film skates around the complicity of the Australian government in the deaths of the journalists (there is one brief suggestion that Australia actually alerted the Indonesians to their presence), but for the most part Balibo is essential viewing – passionate and moving.
Ramos-Horta is played by Guatemalan Oscar Isaac and this was my first exposure to a wonderful actor who has gone on to a richly varied career, including both kinds of 21st century movies – Marvel and Star Wars.
Also reviewed that week: Norwegian comedy Gone With the Woman, Romanian comedy Silent Wedding and one of my favourite pans, From Paris With Love.
Luc Besson has made a good living churning out high energy European B movies (mostly dumb, like The Transporter, occasionally excellent, like Taken) but he must have run out of napkins to write From Paris with Love on because it is really very thin indeed. Simpering Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a US diplomat in Paris, moonlighting for the CIA. He gets a sudden promotion when wildcard secret agent John Travolta comes to town and needs a minder. Travolta chews any and all scenery he can get his hands on and is completely out of the control of director Pierre Morel who had better luck with disciplined Liam Neeson in Taken last year.
Due to a wardrobe malfunction on my part I had to watch this film through my (prescription) sunglasses. Frankly, I would have preferred something even more opaque, like a shower curtain or the wall of the cinema next door while it played a completely different film.
Where to watch Balibo
Aotearoa and Australia: Streaming on Netflix
Canada: Not currently available
Ireland: Streaming on Prime Video
USA: Streaming on Fubo
UK: Streaming on Freevee
Further listening
Tonight on RNZ Nights with Emile Donovan, I’ll be celebrating the 70th birthday of Godzilla. There are a celebratory screenings around the place this weekend and I’ll be on air around 9.40pm.
Further reading
NZ On Screen asked me to write a profile of New Zealand television legend Andrea Lamb and I was delighted to do so. Lamb was there or thereabouts for the amazing 1990s and early 2000s Aotearoa reality television boom and produced smash hits like Changing Rooms, Ground Force, The Zoo and Highway Patrol. It was a never-to-be-repeated era, sad to say.