Loveable Groove has ways to move you

Three young Samoan brothers live in a happily crowded Otara house with their grandmother. She has brought them up to understand that God, fanau, music, community and food are what really matters. And not necessarily in that order.

But, despite her best efforts, the middle son Joshua is going off the rails with a local gang.

Eldest, Solomon, is struggling to hold together the youth group he runs in the face of council indifference to the work he is doing with some at-risk kids in the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, youngest, David, is home from boarding school with his halo still in place and some wicked new dance moves he’s devised.

With Solomon’s group facing eviction from the community hall, Joshua being chased around by a couple of heavies and David getting the glad eye from every girl in the street, there really is nothing for it, but to sing.

Groove City is a musical. A zerobudget labour of love and perseverance from musician/ producer/writer/director/ composer Siavani (Cydel) and a cast of dozens. The film was shot and assembled five years ago, but without enough money or editing experience to complete it, Groove City sat on the shelf until 2015, waiting for the right team to get the film ready for release.

Groove City is awash with decent songs, some seriously fabulous dancers and singers, acting that runs the gamut from passable to pretty damned good and cinematography that – in true homemade film style – gets better as the film goes on.

Ignore the occasional clunks in the edit and the oddities in the sound mix, and Groove City remains watchable, likeable and often completely lovable from beginning to end. Bravo.