Princess Kaiulani

Comments (0) By Vadim Rizov Thursday, Jun 10 2010

Details

Directed by Marc Forby. Written by Forby and Robert Payne. Starring Q'orianka Kilcher, Barry Pepper and Shaun Evans.

Related Content

More About

Q'orianka Kilcher's first role since her stunning breakout as Pocahontas in Terrence Malick's The New World finds her playing to type as the last princess of Hawaii, struggling against the American takeover of a then-sovereign republic. It's her second indigenous-versus-white people role in a row, which suggests troubling things about her career prospects. Marc Forby's directorial debut doesn't try to avoid comparisons with Malick; with rapturous shots of hands passing through pristine fields, it actively courts them. But Forby is much schlockier, employing panpipes to signify that we're now in England when the princess travels there to wait out political turmoil; when she returns to a devastated republic, weepy violins kick in, and the end of an era seems (and is) inevitable as Hawaii becomes just another American colony. To be fair, Princess Kaiulani is livelier than the usual period piece, looks decent and moves fast. But that speed means that a whole lot of history gets way too compressed (the takeover of Hawaii is basically reduced to Kilcher's face versus evil, black-hatted Barry Pepper's mustache, a spectacular follicle creation that upstages his entire performance). And this may be the only film in history to have someone learn about egalitarianism at a British boarding school (!). —Vadim Rizov

Related Content

Check out this week's featured ad for Restaurants
More Ads >>
 
My Voice Nation Help
0 comments
  Livefyre
Sort: Newest | Oldest
 
VOICE Daily Deals

Now Showing

Find capsule reviews, showtimes & tickets for all films in town.

Powered By VOICE Places

Slideshows

Join My Voice Nation for free stuff, film info & more!

Box Office

  1. Star Trek Into Darkness, 70.6 mil, 84.1 mil
  2. Iron Man 3, 35.2 mil, 337.1 mil
  3. The Great Gatsby, 23.4 mil, 90.2 mil
  4. Pain & Gain, 3.1 mil, 46.6 mil
  5. The Croods, 2.8 mil, 176.8 mil
  6. 42, 2.7 mil, 88.7 mil
  7. Oblivion, 2.2 mil, 85.5 mil
  8. Peeples, 2.1 mil, 7.9 mil
  9. Mud, 2.1 mil, 11.6 mil
  10. The Big Wedding, 1.1 mil, 2.2 mil
Movie Title, Weekly Earnings, Total Earnings

Movie Trailers

©2013 Dallas Observer, LP, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places Dallas / Fort Worth

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city