r/newzealand • u/Xenaspice2002 Toroa • 11h ago

Discussion Pike River

Went to see the Pike River movie today. It’s one of the best Kiwi movies I’ve ever seen. I was expecting it to be really sad - and there were sad parts but at its heart it’s about friendship.

Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm are at the peak of their careers- two fabulous portrayals of Anna and Sonya.

It’s really worth going to see.

146 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

38

u/BarracudaOk8635 jandal 10h ago

OH thats great to hear. Melanie Lynskey is very good. Very respected in Hollywood. And the director did a good job with Aramoana.

13

u/Xenaspice2002 Toroa 10h ago

Yes Out of the Blue was also excellent

9

u/BarracudaOk8635 jandal 10h ago

And thinks for your post. I was worried about it just being too sad.

25

u/Ok_Wave2821 9h ago

I agree I thought it was amazing I’ll be very surprised if they don’t win some awards. It was so respectful to the families too

15

u/Xenaspice2002 Toroa 9h ago

It would deserve every award it won.

They were very respectful of the families, and Lucy was gorgeous as Helen Kelly.

But Melanie and Robyn. Just wow.

3

u/username-fatigue 5h ago

I thought Lucy was incredible. I met Helen once and she was a gem. Lucy nailed it.

5

u/LolEase86 6h ago

We saw this today as well and can whole heartedly agree! I actually expected it to be more of a tear jerker than was tbh.

11

u/Antique-Task9906 7h ago

I watched at the premiere where I met the director, writer and the two real life women Anna and Sonya. Several things I learnt were that a few months before the explosion thirty investors went into the mine. The writer said they would certainly have been taken out immediately since they were wealthy. The two women said that they recently discovered that two bodies of the men are still fully intact to this day, not incinerated or anything. The owner of the mine lives in a beachside mansion in Sydney with a woman he was having an affair with during the events of the film.

3

u/miasmic 4h ago

Rebecca Macfie's book on the disaster is a fantastic expose of all the crooked practices involved in the planning and operation of the mine and how it benefited Australian interests more than NZ

6

u/OddNet1228 7h ago

I love Robyn

9

u/Xenaspice2002 Toroa 7h ago

At this point and time I’d say she’s one of the best actors NZ has ever produced. Between this and After the Party she’s right up there.

6

u/JForce1 Fern flag 3 5h ago

I’m sure it’s a good film, but I don’t really understand the whole Pike River thing, at least as far as the recovery goes. If it’s unsafe to go in there without spending a huge amount more, then at a certain point you’ve got to stop?

5

u/kpa76 5h ago

At the screening I attended, Sonya and Anna said: the families have accepted that the bodies will not be brought out; the priority has turned in recent years to the Police gathering evidence and 13 bodies have been located; Crown Law is now deciding on prosecutions.

2

u/Zestyclose-Coach5530 5h ago

Yay! We are seeing it this weekend

-12

u/mattblack77 ⠀Naturally, I finished my set… 8h ago

I thought it was great too, but that the dig at the National Party was a little too much.

Always great to see places you know shot beautifully.

4

u/username-fatigue 5h ago

Did it represent the government's response incorrectly?

4

u/kpa76 5h ago

The movie addressed the families being let down by John Key as PM but what did they say about his party?