People always ask me why I love movies so much.
The honest answer?
I don’t actually remember a time when I didn’t.
Movies were something my mum left me. They were her gift to me, and even now
they’re one of the biggest ways I stay connected to her. Ever since I was born we’d
spend hours every day watching movies and TV shows together. It wasn’t just
something we’d chuck on to pass the time – it was our thing.
We’d laugh, cry, argue over endings, pick our favourite characters, and somehow end
up watching the same movies over and over again without ever getting sick of them.
Looking back, I reckon that’s where I learnt how to tell stories.
It’s funny because I’ve spent so much of my life watching films that I almost feel like I
know some of these actors and directors like they’re old mates. Steven Spielberg,
Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino… I’ve grown up with their
work. When one of them releases a new movie, it honestly feels like catching up with
someone you haven’t seen in a while.
Cinema has always been my second love.
Music will always be my first. That’s my heartbeat. That’s what I do every day.
But movies sit right beside it. I love them differently, but I love them just as much.
Music tells stories through sound. Cinema tells stories through pictures. When the two
come together, that’s magic.
So every Tuesday, my partner and I head to Hoyts Ormiston. It’s become our little
ritual. Half-price Tuesdays, popcorn, and a couple of hours where life slows down and
we get to disappear into another world.
This week’s movie was Disclosure Day.
Before I even walked into the cinema, I’d already seen the reviews. People were saying
the screenplay wasn’t quite there. That it dragged. That it wasn’t one of Spielberg’s
better films. Others were saying the direction was brilliant but the script needed
another draft, and that Emily Blunt was doing most of the heavy lifting.
I walked out thinking… ‘Far out… I don’t think we watched the same movie.’
Now look… I’m not saying the critics are wrong. Movies are personal. Ten people can sit
in the same cinema and walk out with ten completely different opinions. But I do
reckon a lot of people went into Disclosure Day expecting one movie and got
something completely different.
More than just another alien movie
Without giving too much away, the film follows Daniel Kellner, a man carrying
information powerful people want buried. At the same time we meet Emily Blunt’s
character, a television meteorologist whose life changes after an encounter with a
mysterious red cardinal. From there, the film slowly unfolds into a story about
connection, intuition and truths that challenge everything we think we know.
One thing I completely tautoko is what people have been saying about Emily Blunt. She
absolutely carries this movie. She’s the pou of the whole story, and some of my
favourite scenes were actually the quiet ones.
One thing I wasn’t expecting was how much I found myself watching this movie
through a Māori lens. There’s an early scene involving a red cardinal and straight away
my first thought was, ‘He tohu.’ The atmosphere felt tapu. The story explores ideas
around wairua, intuition and knowing things before anyone else does. Maybe Spielberg
intended that, maybe he didn’t. That’s just what I connected with.
Another criticism has been the pacing. To be honest… I actually liked it. It reminded me
of those older science-fiction films and conspiracy thrillers that trusted the audience to
sit with an idea instead of rushing to the next explosion.
For me, this isn’t really a movie about aliens. It’s about fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear
of knowledge. Fear of having your worldview turned upside down. Those were the
whakaaro that stayed with me long after the credits rolled.
My final whakaaro
Is it Spielberg’s greatest film? Nah. Could the screenplay have been tighter? Probably.
But I also think the criticism has been harsher than it deserves. It’s thoughtful,
beautifully directed and leaves you thinking on the drive home.
Rebel’s Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Would I spend my own money to watch it again?
Yeah.
I actually would.
Ka kite next Tuesday, whānau.
