Rūrangi

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Before I get to heavily deep into this review I want to take a moment to remind readers that I'm not trans myself, so I can only talk about my own personal reaction to the film without having the knowledge of the trans experience. I attended a viewing that also doubled as a Q&A with one of the writers/producers; there was a strong trans presence in the audience and the message was very clear that this was one of the strongest media depictions of trans representation a lot of the audience had seen. So I just want to header this review by urging support based on what this film represents and means to the trans community alone.

 

Rūrangi follows the story of Caz Davis, a transgender activist who returns to his hometown of Rūrangi during a period of grief. However, Caz is confronted with the notion of reconnecting with people who haven't seen him since before he transitioned while also reconciling with his now-widowed father. This film does an amazing job of showing the obstacles and challenges trans people experience in their lives, all while navigating away from deadnaming the main character or cutting to flashbacks of them pre-transitioning (which is a huge breakthrough from usual media depictions). I found Caz to be a really whole well-rounded character; he had this deep-rooted desire to reconnect with people he very evidently cared for but was still so hurt after losing his partner to suicide. The film runs with two parallel plots; we watch Caz navigate Rūrangi with a great deal of uncertainty while in his time as an activist in Auckland we watch this confident fighter who challenges how trans people are viewed actively for a living. I think watching Caz's world fall apart due to a major theme around mental health and how that can affect the LGBTQIA+ community was really important, and the reminder that coming out as trans in particular in a small town could very well have been lethal was a message that really rammed home. There is a lot of struggle in this film but I think what makes Rūrangi so very significant is that there is a lot of love and connection too; watching Caz rekindle his friendship with Anahera leads to some light comedic moments, while seeing Caz and Jem fall in love all over again is a special romantic story that I really appreciated. Watching Caz and his father come to terms over their grief for their departed loved one, while also eventually finding acceptance and care in one another is such an impressive feat of storytelling that was very well explored and performed. The way this film is shot is some of the nicest cinematography that I've seen in a Kiwi film, there are numerous beautiful establishing shots and the way intimate dialogue scenes are shot is extremely dynamic. The editing keeps a strong pace throughout, I liked how the scenes were cut and the story was laid out in a very precise manner.

 

Elz Carrad, who played Caz Davis, is a phenomenal protagonist from start to finish; Carrad demonstrates a stoic exterior that conceals a very vulnerable and emotional performance beneath. Awhina-Rose Ashby, who played Anahera, is such a fun character who generates a lot of comedy throughout the film; I really liked her own personal journey around connecting with her cultural heritage and the strength of self that was associated with this. Kirk Torrance, who played Gerald Davis, is a captivating performance and one of the stand outs for me in this film; there is a mixture of anger, confusion, love and connection that comes from Torrance throughout this film that really sets his role apart. Aroha Rawson, who played Whina Rangi, is this minor character who emits a lot of power and presence; I loved how Rawson quietly lent support to Ashby's role in a couple of very key scenes. Renee Lyons, who played Colleen Richter, was a very noteworthy minor antagonist; placed in a role of power I thought lyons did a nice job of subtly performing some damaging ways that harm trans people actively every day.

 

However, the best performance came from Arlo Green, who played Jem. This is a very light-hearted role who generates a lot of the comedy and love that I feel lifts this film up so much. Green is a very charismatic performer and is quietly comfortable in winning over an audience. This is a character who might make you laugh or smile by quietly singing a song, shouting words of encouragement or bumbling his way through an awkward conversation. I also thought Green did an exemplary job at playing through this growth as a character in which he reflects upon his sexuality and realises he is still attracted to his ex-boyfriend Caz. I thought this was quite a complex relationship dynamic that was handled gently and masterfully, in such a very moving and intimate way. There are a lot of characters to love in this film but I strongly believe there is no denying that Arlo Green is the heart of this feature.

 

Rūrangi triumphs in its storytelling, crafting a narrative that I've never seen done before and smashing through barriers scene by scene. However, there were a few minor points that definitely gave me pause throughout the feature. I felt the 'nightmare' sequence with the pink, girly room was a little over the top and wasn't as subtle as some of the film's stronger talking points. The dialogue in certain scenes could've been better polished too as some of the exchanges were cheesy or artificial. Finally I would also note that while the film functioned strongly as a narrative across all the acts, the ending came very abruptly and cut to credits a little soon for my liking, I certainly felt there was more to be said or explored. I found the score to be one that was easily lost in the background, the soundtrack for the feature didn't really have much in the way of notable elements.

 

Ramon Te Wake, who played Ellie, is this best friend character who really doesn't seem to have much of a genuine connection with Carrad onscreen; Te Wake has this habit of saying her lines without placing much power or emotion behind them. Sonny Tupu, who played Andrew Ainofo, functions well as a plot device for the protagonist but fails to really serve as a character; I found Tupu really played to the physical connection between him and Carrad and never really built anything complex between the two. 

 

Both important and a triumph in every way that counts, Rūrangi is a must watch for 2021. I would give Rūrangi an 8.5/10.