Francesca Rudkin: Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds and Thunderbolts*

Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds 

Filmed over the course of four years, this documentary follows musician Marlon Williams as he takes on a deeply personal project — producing his first album entirely in te reo Māori, Te Whare Tīwekaweka. Williams began his musical journey as a teen, songwriting in Lyttleton, then carved out his own distinctive country sound that quickly took him to the world stage. Now, through te reo Māori, he sets out to reconnect with his Ngāi Tahu and Ngāi Tai roots.  

Directed by Ursula Grace Williams in her feature debut, the film follows Williams through international tours to quiet home life, all while working on the album. 

  

Thunderbolts* 

Ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes —Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker— embarks on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from News Talks at.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
B mother Gita.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Call to.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Caney.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Ah, that's gorgeous, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
That voice?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
My goodness, that's Oatura by Marlon Williams. Of course, New
Zealand Music Month has officially begun. We're in May, gulp,
which means that as well as his new album, we
have a brand new documentary from Marlon Williams. To kick
us off, Francisca Rudkin, our film reviewer, is here with
us this morning. Cold to Francisca, you have been to

(01:01):
see our rua Two Worlds that's showing in cinemas at
the moment, So tell us about it.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
Ah. Look, this was filmed over four years, As you mentioned.
It follows musician Marlon Williams as he writes and records
his first album, Indel. It's a hugely personal project for him.
Jacket's the story of identity, connecting with his culture, reclaiming Israel,
and as an artist and as a man finding his

(01:30):
place in the different worlds that he exists in. And look,
Marlon Williams is a very charismatic, warm talented person. If
you've ever interviewed him or sent him a concert. You know,
he really is very charismatic. But I think interestingly, director
Ursula Grace Williams realized that you couldn't just rely on

(01:52):
that when it came to making a documentary about the
making of an album and Marlon he didn't want a biopic.
He was like, I'm not ready for that yet. You know,
I don't want that, but she kind of recognized that
it be you know, for artists, it's really interesting watching
the creative process, but if you want to engage people

(02:14):
in a film and a broad audience in a film,
it has to be it has to be an element
of kind of entertainment there. So she's done this really
amazing job. I think of at first putting Malon Williams
into context. So at the beginning of the film we

(02:36):
kind of cover off his career to date, his personal journey,
but along the way we returned to to see his
family home and hear about his upbringing, and hear about
his parents and he was very close to and the
influence that they had on him. And then he's kind
of in his early thirties and he talks a lot
about the fact that touring has really taken a toll
on him, and the nature of life is very transient,

(02:58):
and I think in a way he wanted to ground himself,
even though he knows that his life may not lead
him to sort of, you know, living a very grounded
that's kind of where he goes on this journey. I
think the music is wonderful in this film. The cinematography
gives this journey gravitas and beauty. The editing, though, I

(03:19):
think is really excellent. You know, they've created a very pacy,
engaging film. They keep the energy up, they get the
right amount of music and hear the right amount of talk,
the right amount of just observation and things. So I
think it's a very thoughtful, beautiful film that's going to
really appeal to fans. And as you know, I'm a
huge fan of Marlon's beautiful voice. But he's got this

(03:41):
massive international audience, so I think we'll be fascinated to
learn a lot more about him. And then there's all
these people who are going to be introduced to him
as well. So yeah, no, I was. I thought I
found a really moving experience. What did have film?

Speaker 3 (03:55):
Oh great? I cannot wait to see it. It sounds fantastic. Okay,
so that's Marlon Williams our which means two worlds. Next up,
something completely different, a new all star Marvel movie. Let's
have a little bit of a listen to Thunderbolts.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Let's talk facts. The Avengers are not conning. Who will
keep the American people? See? Are you why you got
some place to me? I love that guy?

Speaker 3 (04:35):
Okay, that's Thunderbolts. Since Marvel tell us about it, Regiska.

Speaker 4 (04:40):
So this is another film in the Phase five sort
of period of Marvel cinematic universe. So these are films
and TV shows that have been released between twenty twenty
three and twenty twenty five middle of this year. But
to be honest with you, it's kind of been a
bit of a mixed bunch. There's been The Ant Man
and the Wasp, Quantumania, there was The Guardians of the Galaxy.
There was a Captain America film, Brave New World that

(05:02):
was released in mid February that no one knows about.
They didn't screen it. There was the seemed to be
any hype about it. No one really knew about it.
I don't know how well it's doing it the cinemas.
I'm sure that, you know, there's been a bit of
word of mouth around it. But it's really interesting at
the moment with Marvel that they're not making any huge
effort to show these films, to screen them to you know,

(05:22):
to promote them in that way. Normally they would have
a screening for us. It might only be a couple
of the days before, but they'd be building the hype.
They want people to promote it, talk about it. And
Thunderbolts kind of came out of the blue as well.
It's like, oh, here's another Marvel film, but no one's
talking about it. They're not promoting it. Really, there's not
a lot of hype. And it's like, why not, because
this one isn't too bad? Because because when they don't

(05:43):
do screenings, Jack immediately you go, oh, it's no good,
And that's generally in the past. Why why studios don't
do screenings? But look, this one's okay. It is dressed
up as a breath of free share but turns out
to be a pretty predictable Marvel flick I did enjoy that.
It's a bit edgy, there's a darkness to it. There's
an existential crisis they are trying to put some substance

(06:08):
into this film. I don't know where the younger audience
is already going to watch all their heroes have existential crisis,
but you know, maybe it will appeal. We've got a
bunch of heroes who are actually anti heroes. They're kind
of like failed heroes who clean up the messes in
the background. They're not front facing, as they say in
the film. They're the kind of hugely disposable ones in

(06:28):
the background who are very talented at what they do,
but they don't have the kind of the glory roles
and things. And Florence Pugh leads the bunch here, and
she's absolutely excellent. She's fantastic. She really drives us. She
plays Yelena, who is the black widow's sister. You've got
White Russell in there, who's John Walker. David Harbor plays
her father, a Lexi. He's in there as well. They're

(06:48):
joined by the ghost Taskmaster and also Sebastian stand is Bucky,
and they all kind of come together. They find themselves
in this room. They're all sent on missions to annihilate
each other. They realize that their boss, Valentina, is trying
to get rid of them all, so they all team
up together kind of come back to the real world
and Red that Valentina has most accidentally created this godlike

(07:14):
superhero who has the potential to take over the world.
But it's a very lonely, not very stable, unhappy man
who actually becomes a bit of a baddie, and so
they will sort of come together to try and prevent him.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
The story in the.

Speaker 4 (07:32):
World, So it kind of it starts off really interesting, Jack,
and you're going, oh, I love these Yeah, I love
the fact that they're all a bit different and they're
not you know, cool and perfect and everything. But then
it kind of folds into the second half. It kind
of action wise and story wise, it kind of becomes
a pretty predictable Marvel flick, not as funny as it
could have been. I think there was actually too much
banter between the cast. It really wasn't needed. You do

(07:55):
become fond of them by the end of the film.
I mean, I think there'll be another one, and if
they can keep surrounding Florence Pugh with some good people
and maybe to shorten up and sharpen up the script
a bit, then actually this this this particular branch of
the franchise might fly.

Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah, okay, well yeah it's not for me if I'm
one hundred percent honest franch escape, but you know what,
I'm sure it will still do all right at the
box office. They don't usually lose a whole lot of
money these Marvel films, which tells us why there are
so many Thank you. So that's Thunderbolts and Marlon Williams
o'ur is the first film franchise could hold us about

(08:29):
two worlds. Desiree just flipp me note to say Jack.
I saw the Marlon Williams docco yesterday, absolutely stunning. His
voice is perfect for singing interior. Maudi, what a beautiful soul.
And then Desiree, I swear wrote this. She said, swoon.
I'm sure you're not the only one feeling that way, Jack.
Marlon can sound very Elvis, like when Elvis is singing ballads. Yeah,

(08:51):
there is something the richness of his voice that has
that quality.

Speaker 1 (08:54):
A For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen
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