Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor on Kiwi director Christine Jeffs' new medical drama 'A Mistake'

Kiwi director Christine Jeffs, the mind behind Rain, has returned with a new high-stakes medical drama.

The film, starring Elizabeth Banks, has recently made its world debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says it's a 'grim' watch fuelled by compelling performances.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb Times Talking Entertainment Now, and I'm joined by the
editor at flextot Co dot MZ. Good morning. Are you
a fan of Wonty Python?

Speaker 3 (00:19):
Yes, but it feels like it is in the distant
past these days.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
I know.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, I watch some of the last week or so,
just getting ready to pick to talk to Eric and things,
and I it is still funny anyway. Moving on to
twenty twenty four and Christine Jeffs has a new film. She's,
of course the New Zealand filmmaker. She's got a new
film out. It's called A Mistake and it's making waves.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Yeah, it's just had its world premiere at the Tribeca
Festival in the US. Christin Jeff's hasn't made a feature
film for sixteen years. Got a lot of attention both
locally and internationally for Rain in two thousand and one,
and she made a couple of US picks Sylvia and
Sunshine Cleaning. But it's a bit of a bit of
a gap between drinks for Jeffs. A Mistake was shot

(01:05):
here in Auckland, but it stars US actor Elizabeth Banks,
who is a big gift. Oh yeah, big time, and
some of the early reaction from the screening are Deadline.
The Hollywood website describe it as one of Banks's best
roles to date, saying it isn't exactly a fun watch.
It's a drama about medical misadventure. The mistake happens when

(01:29):
Elizabeth Banks, a surgeon, allows a junior doctor to perform
some procedures in theater and they don't go well. So
it's grim based on the novel of the same name
by Karl Shuka, which maybe familiar to people. Isn't exactly
a fun watch, but the acting is superb across the board,
starting with Banks, whose sports a subtle but convincing accent.

(01:50):
Now that is a challenge coming here, and.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
She does a k accent.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Hollywood Reporter says the film functions as both an empathetic
character study and a thoughtful examination of professional ethics, culpability,
and forgiveness. I'm not sure when this is going to
a release in New Zealand, but I guess it's just
starting its life on the festival.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
It's awesome to hear.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, we keen to look out for a mistake, as
well as Elizabeth Banks. Other familiar names in the film
are Rena Owen and Simon mcbernie and Mickey Summer. So yeah,
we'll hopefully see that later this year.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Okay, now, Scavenger's Rain. This is an animation, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah? Absolutely? This blew my socks off.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
This is a it's an adult animation.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
But it's like, okay, gross, it's not creepy head.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
It's just all for South Park.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Okay, it's a drama. It's a few light gags, but
this is a story of the few survivors of a
space freighter that's crashed on orbiting an alien planet, really
weird ecosystem. It's really trippy kind of style of sci fi.
This turned upon Netflix about a week ago. It was
originally released in the US last year, but I didn't

(03:03):
think we'd see it here, and then it's just popped up.
If you're a sci fi fan, I can't recommend the
show enough. Punchy, kind of twenty something minute long episodes
reminded me of things like Eon Flux if that rings about. Yes,
it's got a very kind of measured sci fi style,
and yet it's more patient than maybe your kids will want. Okay,

(03:24):
try to do it brilliant.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Thank you so much. I am going to go and
google a mistake now because I am very keen to
see if I can find the trailer and here Elizabeth
spanks kee We accent. It is so hard to do
with ky We accent, doesn't it?

Speaker 3 (03:38):
We are complex?

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Which is I'm just trying to think who has out
it so well?

Speaker 3 (03:45):
When Hopkins is probably the it's probably the best one,
all right, but that was a very particular accent and
world's fastest Indian and it wasn't the generic key We accent.
It was something but more specific.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Okay, all right, I'm going to check that out. Thank
you very much, Steve.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
See you next week.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks. It'd be from nine am Sunday.
Follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.