If I could use just a single word to describe Uproar, it would be "likeable", which may not sound like an excessively emphatic compliment, but a little likeability sometimes goes a long way, and this film has it in spades.
As far as my memory can tell, it’s also the most purely Dunedin-centric big-screen release since Scarfies, with its 1981 setting feeling genuine and period accurate. Everything from the production design to the costuming is spot on, and as a nostalgic showcase for the city, it really hits the mark.
Māori teenager Josh Waaka (Julian Dennison) is something of an outsider at the mostly Pākehā boys’ school he attends. He lives with his brother (James Rolleston), who is recovering from a serious injury, and his mother (Minnie Driver), who is trying to hold the family together after the death of her husband.
There’s also the small matter of the Springbok tour being ever present in the background, and as the team make their way down the country, the initially reluctant Josh becomes involved with the local protest movement. The film cleverly uses this scenario to draw parallels with the race-based issues that are still so prevalent today.
While some aspects are a little clunky, it’s elevated by the performances, especially from Dennison, who is an effortlessly natural screen presence if ever I saw one. Rolleston and Driver are also fantastic, but most importantly it avoids the pitfalls of these types of feel-good stories by always staying believably grounded.
