The Rehearsal (2016) User Reviews

Let down by its leads

[euroGary · 6/10 · 17 November 2016]

It is ironic that 'The Rehearsal' is set in a drama school, as lead actor James Rolleston evidences little acting ability. There are flashes of emotion, but in the main he mumbles his lines as if he is seeing them for the first time. This might not be so bad if he were partnered with someone of greater ability, but in the role of his girlfriend Isolde, Ella Edward is similarly unimpressive: for instance, in a scene where she discovers a room full of evidence that proves her boyfriend's duplicity she merely wanders gormlessly about it rather than looking, y'know, sad or angry.

Anyway, the plot: Stanley (Rolleston) meets Isolde on the bus as he is returning from an audition at a top New Zealand drama school and she is on her way to the tennis club. Upon arrival at the club, Isolde discovers her underage sister in a sexual liaison with the tennis coach. The resulting scandal seems the perfect material for Stanley's new drama class to adapt as their end-of-year project, but just when will Stanley get around to telling Isolde her family's trauma is about to become student fodder?

In the other roles, Kerry Fox enjoys herself as the school's tough-as-old-boots headmistress; and Kieran Charnock provides a nice turn as troubled fellow student William (who has long hair and wears odd socks, so we know how counter-culture and non-conformist he is). The film is full of stereotypes and its outcome will surprise few - the students' eventual presentation is telegraphed early on. But I enjoyed it - there was interest in following the students through their academic year and, in the UK at least, it is unusual to see a film from New Zealand. I just think it would have been better with stronger central performances.

Acting out

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 17 April 2018]

So using real life events in your artistic work is not really new. Not involving the people who are affected is mean to say the least, but this movie has this as the template. And while it can be "fun" to watch at times (being sarcastic unless you are mean and love the misery of others), it does not hold enough juice for the whole run time.

Overall it's a decent movie, the acting is decent and the flow of the movie is nice too. Depending if you like dramas and how you feel about characters exposing their private life, keeping secrets, others exposing them ... you may like this.

"Acting is a horrible career."

[aethomson · 5/10 · 5 March 2022]

"Acting is not copying real life." OK, we're in drama school. Young people who might have talent (but you've seen the statistics of probability) are creatively(?) bullied and humiliated by their teacher (veteran actor Kerry Fox), in the hope that some spark of the divine might thereby flicker into existence. This is Auckland, New Zealand, and that makes it different. No it doesn't.

Was Stanley (James Rolleston) voted "least likely to be the next Brando"? He's come from some small rural town, where (we can assume) rugby is more highly regarded than the thespian mysteries. We plod through the months, which are announced on the screen, just in case we can't figure this ourselves.

Capable young Kiwi actors pretend that they're starting out from scratch again. Starting a little too young, perhaps? That schoolgirl is still some months short of the age of consent, Mr tennis coach. "She wanted it, you could tell." Try that one on the judge, bro.

"When we're tough on you, it's never personal, you know that." But what if the creative bullying gets too much for one student? Or maybe he was going to crack anyway.

This is cinema naive. Teenage dreams are tested. You remember being a teenager? It was embarrassing, right? This movie avoids embarrassment, but not by much. New Zealanders are a "team of five million." The Prime Minister said so, long, long ago, when the coronavirus was putting civilization on hold. So be patriotic, all you Kiwis, and support your indigenous cinema industry.

15 Love?

[Minnesota_Reid · 8/10 · 21 April 2017]

Like a muted version of the recent American movie Whiplash, This movie covers the first year of acting school of an 18 year old New Zealand man. The main teacher is a tough cookie, played by veteran actress Kerry Fox. While not as abusive as the band leader in the recent American movie 'Whiplash', Fox's character emotionally flays the kids without mercy, with predictable results.

When the kids are given small group assignments to develop a theater piece, they are equally merciless, picking a local sex scandal involving a tennis coach and a very young protegee. By chance, our lead actor has developed a friendship (growing into more than that) with the 15 year old sister of the girl at the heart of the sex scandal. Our group exploits that to get close to the family and learn more. Things develop in an unhealthy way.

The end of the film makes sense...but was dramatically very weak. There were other ways they could have gone with the ending, but I'm not sure that any of them would have worked better. Still, it was a solid, competent movie, well worth seeing.

New Zealand made a good film again

[thomsedavi · 8/10 · 30 July 2016]

New Zealanders often experience cultural cringe, and a film like this is likely to go under their radar. Which is a shame because this really is actually a good film, even if it is set in Auckland. And I don't even mean 'it's a good film for a New Zealand film', which is what I usually mean. I mean that this is a good film. It's actually worth seeing at the cinema and not just on television. So good it could have been made overseas. It's that good.

I only gave it eight stars though because we really don't like to take pride in stuff, especially if it's not sport related. Having said that this film does feature a lot of sport, so. Maybe that's an angle that could be used to lure kiwis in to see the film.

How it possible

[MovieIQTest · 25 February 2018]

A deadbeat cardboard emotionless non-talent would have such a big dream to choose acting as his career? Watching this guy, a young man without any strong and passionate feelings almost to everything and nothing was such a painful viewing experience. If the teachers who chose this deadbeat young man as a newly chosen student to be admitted to their performing art school, then this school should be closed.

This is a terribly scripted film, wrongly and mistakenly chose an empty soul who, of all the people in this world, would have such a pipe dream of becoming an actor, a candidate of day-dreaming walking stiff zombie.