The Rehearsal

(M, 102mins)

A tale full of weighty themes and dramatic artifice, this somewhat loose adaptation of Eleanor Catton’s 2008 debut novel never truly compels, despite the presence of plenty of Kiwi acting luminaries.

James Rolleston is Stanley from Whakatane, a first-year drama student struggling to make an impression at ‘‘The Institute’’. As he searches for inspiration and emotional connections, he is drawn back to the younger tennis-playing Isolde (Ella Edward). But is it her or her familial connection to a scandal that has him so fascinated?

While the exploration of the use of private lives for ‘‘cheap entertainment’’ is interesting and adroitly handled, director Alison McLean and writer Emily Perkins seems caught between trying to create a more cinematic story from Catton’s book and remaining true to her prose – some of the descriptive, evocative speeches feel like they’ve come straight from there.

And while this peek behind the drama school curtain occasionally throws up some powerful moments, there’s an overall sense of remoteness and an almost surreality about proceedings. Bleak cinematography lends an extra layer of authenticity, but ultimately this The Paperchase-meets-noughtiesAussie reality series Drama School comes across as having plenty of ideas, hampered by slightly muddled execution. – James Croot