MOVIE REVIEW
“The Dark Horse”
Grade: B
Starring Cliff Curtis, James Rolleston and Wayne Hapi. Directed by James Napier Robertson.
Rated R for language throughout, and drug use. Check listings for theaters. 2 hours, 4 minutes.
Bottom line: There's nuance and heart in this dramatic, affecting film
In Hollywood, character actor Cliff Curtis is known as an ethnically malleable performer, playing everything from Latino to Middle Eastern to South Asian to Jesus Christ. But in “The Dark Horse,” from New Zealand, the Maori actor turns to his homeland and cultural roots to play real-life chess champ and coach Genesis Potini. Curtis disappears into a character that’s outside his norm while simultaneously allowing for a celebration of Maori history and culture. It’s an uplifting tale based on a true story, written and directed by James Napier Robertson.
Curtis is transformed as Genesis, a former chess champion known as The Dark Horse, who is struggling with bipolar disorder. Significantly heavier, with a bizarre haircut and missing teeth, he is nearly unrecognizable. But Curtis brings a deep and soulful humanity to the performance, beautifully expressing Gen’s struggle to maintain his sanity while carving out a place for himself in the world.
Recently released from a mental hospital, the only place for Genesis to go is the ramshackle biker crash pad of his gangster brother Ariki (Wayne Hapi). The chaotic clubhouse is no place for a man trying to re-establish his stability, nor is it for his young nephew, Mana (James Rolleston). So Genesis seeks solace in the structure and routine of a chess club for kids, where he wants to take the team of mischievous imps and juvenile delinquents all the way to Auckland for the Junior National Championships.
Gen is treated as unreliable at best by his brother and friends, who don’t trust him to follow through on much of anything. The world shuns him, and he refuses to ask for help — even when he needs it most — focusing instead on helping others. He’s crazy enough to believe the local kids deserve something more than their lot in life, particularly Mana, who is on the verge of being violently initiated into his father’s gang.
Curtis delivers a searing performance as the flawed but earnest Gen, trying his hardest to do the right thing in the face of great difficulty. The supporting performances are equally as good, particularly on-the-rise actor Rolleston as the angry yet sensitive Mana, a young boy asked to be a man.
These complications elevate the film above the format of a team triumph picture. Familiar story beats remain, but “The Dark Horse” proves to be much more, incorporating ancient Maori culture as a point of pride, as well as wrestling with contemporary issues of race, class and social issues in the community. The film never shies away from the hard topics, and the actors bring nuance and heart to this intensely dramatic and affecting film.
