Saturday, July 22, 2017

Mercenary (Mercenaire) (2016)

I missed this one at Cannes. But I'm glad Netflix picked it up for American distribution. It follows a rugby player named Soane from the French island of Wallis in the Pacific. He's a big guy, but a little smaller than he should be. The story is told from his point of view and it has emotional depth. Being placed in his shoes makes you really feel for him. He is put in some very tough situations and you just want to see him succeed. You want things to go right for him. And just when it looks like they are, his past catches up with him. It is beautifully shot and Toki Piloko is excellent in the lead role. I must say one of the most powerful things you can see on film is a haka. And we get two! The title is a brilliant metaphor--the rugby players are hired bodies. And the ending is poignant. An excellent first feature by Sacha Wolff. 

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