GOOD AS GOLD

You know those moments in this competition where your jaw literally drops because you have seen something amazing? Well, Good as Gold had me picking mine up from off the floor with a staggeringly beautiful film that pulsated straight out of the Cook Islands and into our lucky viewing eyes here in New Zealand.

Following a woman on the run, jump and swim through beautiful native landscapes, with a commanding screen presence that presented strength and determination without saying a word, this was a captivating film with a charming payoff.

GOOD sound say my notes. Consistency. Shot so well it could work as a tourism advert. Match cuts for days as the quest for a special coin took us on a deep dive from riverbeds through fauna with acrobatics along the way, culminating with a splash as the woman hungered for her prize.

From a technical level relative to this competition, to me this was perfect. Every frame was just so tight. The only reason I'm not giving top overall marks is that I'm not quite sure if the story had enough weight for most of the proceedings. I'm eager to see it again though, that's for sure, and watch out NZ because this will contend at the business end of the comp...

Story: 3.5/5
Technical 5/5
Elements: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

This film by Kinaki, from the Cook Islands, was very well shot and executed. Interesting to see a film by an out-of-country team mixed into a small regional heat, so a bit of a different flavor from the usual fare.

It was great jumping straight into the action. The cinematography and location were obviously amazing--though I think you'd be hard-pressed to make Rarotonga look bad! The underwater shots were nice, too. The performance by the lead was great.

I did find it a bit confusing as the beginning felt a lot like drama/adventure style, and then the part suddenly where she was rolling a bunch of places felt like an unexpected and slightly disconcerting comedic beat in what had felt like a dramatic piece up until then? And then it ended as a comedy, with the burger. I think it felt a little out of place to me, and maybe needed an initial comedy beat just a little earlier than that so it didn't feel like such an unexpected change in tone.

Aside from that, the story was simple, and it was a fun twist. Perhaps not so much room for character development, but that's common in shorts this short. It was definitely a satisfying watch, though, given the high production values, amazing scenery, and being very tight technically.

Great work!

Essentially a film about a woman running through awesome scenery towards a punchline, this short is short on story but it sure moves and is shot beautifully. A fun watch and one of the highlights of the competition so far.

Brilliant showcase of your slice of paradise! A fun film that you can tell was a bunch of fun to make. Hope to see more from these film-makers in the future:)