Movie review - "Sleeping Dogs" (1977) **1/2

Historically important New Zealand film as it was the first big feature made there for ages, and it certainly launched several careers - director Roger Donaldson, star Sam Neill, writer/actor Ian Hume. All turn in strong efforts - Neil has charisma stamped all over him, the film moves along at a fair clip, production values are high (partly shot on the Coromandel Peninsula), there is action. The story has that 70s boomer sensibility: oppressive government, revolutionaries - it actually is quite believable, especially as the revolutionaries are shown to be quite ruthless, too - and we saw how hot things could get in New Zealand with the South African protests. The film is slightly hollow at the core - we don't know what the political context is (the government are just nasty), and since Neill doesn't want to get involved with anyone it makes it hard to care (he doesn't even want to clear his name or get into bed with a blonde like in a Hitchcock film - anyhow its a bit too dragged out for that sort of pacing and lacks a clear villain).

The DVD has a charming featurette on the making of the film - everyone was so keen to make it work, and they did. They wanted Jack Thompson to play a role but couldn't afford him - but they could get Warren Oates because he liked to fish in New Zealand!