Pork Pie

New Zealand has produced some wonderful films recently, with quirky, sharp humour and well-written scripts – this, alas, breaks the trend. Pork Pie is a remake of the 1981 original Goodbye Pork Pie. Three strangers are haphazardly brought together in a yellow Mini Cooper and end up going on a turbulent but exciting journey – literally and metaphorically.

A Mini featured in the original and so an updated Mini Cooper legitimately features in this version, but it makes the film look like one long car commercial. Dean O’Gorman as the hopelessly love-struck Jon is likeable and funny and could probably have carried the film on his own. James Rolleston is handsome but insipid as delinquent, Luke. He doesn’t quite bring the roguish charm that would boost his character. Ashleigh Cummings is given a thin, unintuitively written young vegan activist named Keira to work with.

The scenery and photography are stunning, and there are some promising ideas, but overall, a bit of a gear-cruncher.

★★1/2

Reviewed by Rita Bratovich.