Captivating and immersive ‘Dark Horse’
Print Edition
YOU don’t need to know anything about chess, New Zealand or Genesis Potini to fall under the spell of “The Dark Horse.”
This may have as much to do with the real-life Potini as with the actor who becomes him in this loving portrait: “Fear the Walking Dead” star Cliff Curtis. His immersive portrayal makes Potini fascinating and unpredictable in every frame of “The Dark Horse.”
We first see Gen, as he’s known, wearing a colorful blanket and toothless grin in a rainstorm. He walks into an antique shop, mumbling in Maori and English as he starts playing a chess game against himself, narrating every move. He ends up in a mental hospital — a return trip, it turns out. Gen has bipolar disorder, and he doesn’t always take his meds.
He seeks help from his brother, Ariki, who reluctantly takes him in. As a leader of the Vagrants street gang, Ariki’s hands — and house — are already full. He’s focused on bringing his teenage son, Mana (James Rolleston), into the gang, and suggests Gen stay out of their way.
He keeps busy by volunteering with the Eastern Knights, a neighborhood chess club for kids who might otherwise be on the streets after school. With his bursts of manic energy and deep love of the game, Gen is a natural teacher. He connects the chess pieces to characters in Maori lore as he explains their motivations and movement patterns. The kids adore him and it motivates him to stay on schedule with his sleep and his medicine. He promises to take them to the national chess championships in Auckland.
Mana shows interest in his uncle’s chess club, but his father forbids the distraction. Gen secretly allows his nephew to join anyway, threatening friction in the family that would upend Gen’s fragile mental state.
Gen is such a big-hearted character that his story is more than just a portrait of overcoming mental illness or a tale of a loving mentor. It’s a reminder how we can choose to aim for the positive, regardless of our mental or physical circumstances.
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