Chasing Great

Chasing Great

Director: Fede Alvarez

Rating: A+++++++

After watching Richie McCaw's latest film Chasing Great, I’ve come to the careful conclusion that the man pisses excellence. He was dux of his high school, he flies planes and helicopters, and he is now widely regarded as our greatest All Black of all time. Despite all of this, the man is still able to retain such humility and for that reason I suspect, is one of our most trusted and respected Kiwis. 

McCaw’s life, and achievements have been carefully interwoven into a film which follows the final year of his All Blacks tenure, in the lead up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The film uses a mixture of home footage, interviews, voice overs and acting to bring to life McCaw's story. 

Whilst the film chronicles early life for McCaw and his meteoric rise through the grades, it centres mostly around his failure in the 2007 Rugby World Cup and his almost psychotic need to win the world cup. It mainly revolves around his work with the team psychologist and his recognition that, mentally the team needed to be able to perform under pressure. 

Whether you’re a rugby fan or not, you will be able to appreciate the lengths McCaw was willing to go to in order to be successful, including playing half the world cup with a broken foot. In gaining an insight into the hard work and attention to detail in which McCaw pays to his game, and the team, it's easy to understand just why the All Blacks are one of the most successful sports teams of all time. 

Heading into the film I had heard a lot of reviews which didn't paint the film in the best of light, however I’ve got to say I was blown away at the quality of the kiwi made film. Perhaps I base my knowledge of kiwi films around Black Sheep? Whether you’re a footy nut or not, I'm sure you can come to appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes to make McCaw top his field. 10/10 would recommend. Closest I’ve come to crying in a movie in a long time. 

This article first appeared in Issue 26, 2016.
Posted 12:13pm Saturday 8th October 2016 by Hugh Baird.