You can tell that a fi lm was
made by Taika Waititi the same
way you can tell a piece was
painted by Picasso. Not in that
he doesn’t know where on the
face the eyes go, but in how he
expresses his unique voice.
The fi rst work of Taika’s I saw
was the 2014 mockumentary
What We Do in the Shadows—
a movie that could have been
a disaster, but was amazing.
It was brilliantly comic yet
somehow made me care pas-
sionately about the fate of a
bunch of murderous vampires.
So I set about trying to meet
Taikaandconvincehimtowork
with me, which he obviously
refused to do.
Now, having watched all
his work, from Hunt for the
Wilderpeople to Reservation
Dogs, I’m really bitter. Taika
has won an Oscar and made
successful, hilarious, heartfelt
movies. Yet he always brings
to his work a light touch. He
tells stories that are utterly
watchable, even when they’re
sad, or satirical. And they are
always funny.
He represents the best of
the bygone era of wild, rock-
star Hollywood types, mixed
with the brilliance of a top
auteur ... Actually, sorry, but this
guy’s really starting to piss me
off. Mr. “I’m a bloody genius but
I’m still fun.” Can someone else
write this piece?Baron Cohen is an Oscar-
nominated actor and screenwriterTaika Waititi
Hollywood maverick
BY SACHA BARON COHEN