Hollow Men, The

Aroview: Seasoned documentarian Alister Barry distills Nicky Hager's hot potato expose of National Party leader Don Brash into a confronting, election year reminder of political deception.

Stating the facts (and gaffs) through a wealth of unseen media footage, Barry’s dry, informational style is tempered by flashes of humour, well in keeping with the political documentary spirit. Targeting Brash’s rise, remaking (through a team of shady advisors), and fall, the film struggles at times to convey the significance of National’s leaked emails, the central conceit of Hager’s book. Nonetheless, a fascinating record of a contentious chapter in New Zealand politics.

NZ International Film Festival 2008
Adopt-a-Movie Kindly Adopted by Alister Barry