Directed by Australian-based New Zealander Paul Middleditch and written by kiwi humourist Tom Scott, Separation City is a tale of marriage, bad sex and requited love.
Simon (Joel Edgerton) is a decent bloke, living in smug and comfortable suburbia with two children and sex life on hold, who falls for his wife's friend Katrien (Brit actress Rhona Mitra). While their marriages fall apart (to Danielle Cormack and Thomas Kretschmann, respectively), the pair begin an infatuation. They fumble a number of opportunities until a meticulously planned clandestine rendezvous in Berlin turns into a wild and crazy farce that threatens to rip their lives apart...
Making Second-Hand Wedding look distinctly second-rate, Separation is the Kiwi Generation X comedy drama we've all been waiting for. Like the similarly excellent small-screen Insiders Guide series, the action centres on Wellington and although it's portrayed as some kind of pristine, near windless wonderland, its central city provides an excellent backdrop for intertwining tales personal, public and political strife amongst a small group of friends.
Yes, veteran writer Scott can't keep his political nous and nose for satire out of a script jam packed with memorable one-liners ("I really wanted to go to assertiveness training but Joanne wouldn't let me") and vividly excruciating-to-watch scenarios. Often voice-overs are the last vestige of the damned (witness Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy) but here they give full voice to Scott's rich writing.
As well as bringing together some of New Zealand finest female acting talent (Jodie Rimmer, Cormack, Langstone), Separation also provides a wonderful showcase for Boston Legal hottie Rhona Mitra (whose performance is likely to boost male attendances at future NZSO concerts) and the 'Antipodean Ewan McGregor' Joel Edgerton (TV's The Secret Life of Us). A mix of Thirtysomething, Sex, Lies and Videotape and Australian TV's Murray Whelan series, Separation is "awesome with a capital O".
By James Croot, Flicks.co.nz
An appallingly painful and unfunny film. The constant voice overs were trite and irritating and did nothing to save the tired gags and empty headed commentary on relationships. No voice overs unless absolutely necessary. That is just screenwriting 101 and there is no way we should have had to endure 100 minutes of them. This is yet another New Zealand film that should never have been made. The script is clearly third rate and the directing was lack lustre and I struggle to understand why the Film Commission continues to fund this clankers. Not since 'Fifty ways of Saying Fabulous' have I seen a film so annoyingly bad. People say support the film industry well I agree. Support it by not wasting taxpayers money on films like this. I think many of the positive reviews are just puff pieces written by friends of the filmmakers. Do not waste your time and money on this film unless you want a class in how not to make a feature film.
Few funny lines, but really could have been set anywhere...
It was rather different than I had expected, which was more of a romantic comedy, but I was very pleased with I have have seen, a very smart, witty drama about love for a woman that isn't yours. Those great lines from Harry still crack me up after seeing it yesterday. Briliant move to take it from a male's perspective, the ladies will love it too, hilarious lines guaranteed. A must see movie!
I impore all to see and support this great piece of cinema; the directing, the sharp dialogue, cinematography, and so forth make for great cinema. Don't listen to the negative feedback here, this is very original cinema and has a deep and contemplative moral. Keeping producing these outstanding Kiwi films NZ!
Probably them and their friends because honestly this film is absolute CRAP!!! All the good reviews are just a little suspicious and read like paid advertisements, not real reviews. This film is just stale. Great views of Wellington, which we all love to see, but who outside of this little town would care? The story and characters are just so two dimensional and sooooo predictable. This is supposed to be Gen-X? More like Ger-iatric! Stinker - two thumbs down!
Scott can write a stunning gag, but not until the very end of this film did I hear one conversation between a man and a woman that sounded like anything adults might actually say to each other.
Charming at moments but uneven in tone and peopled by caricatures.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 6th Aug 2009.
Release date: August 6th 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
