Son of Rambow

This film received some positive reviews and was shown in limited release here in the US. But, as someone else has commented, this is another bad modern British film. I was appalled by THIS IS ENGLAND. This film didn't turn my stomach so much as it just bored me. It was disjointed and convoluted. The main characters are not well developed and the one boy's conversion into a RAMBO fanatic is too fast and unbelievable. And there's too much extraneous plot that gets in he way of the main story about the two young boys escaping into a fantasy world. The introduction of the French exchange student, Didier, into the main plot is unnecessary. He doesn't really add anything to the story. If the film had focused on the two main boys, who are alienated from larger society for very different reasons, and their attempts to escape into a fictional fantasy world where they are masters of their universe and in control, then the film might have been more memorable.

There are three main problems with 'Son Of Rambow.' The first is that the whole film looks as if it were shot by two eleven year old children, and not just the scenes where this is intentionally the case. The second main problem is that the majority of the dialogue sounds as though it were written by two eleven year olds. The third is that the comedy in the film is entirely unfunny, unless you happen to be an eleven year-old. Aside from those minor issues, 'Son Of Rambow' is great. Yeah. The story involves, rather unsurprisingly, two eleven year old boys named Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) and Lee Carter (Will Poulter) who begin as polar opposites of each other. Proudfoot is overly introverted due to his upbringing at the hands of a religion known for being extremely isolated from the rest of society. His only form of entertainment comes from his own imagination, which finds its form through drawings. Carter on the other hand has no such controlling factor in his life and is frequently shown to have a problem with authority and breaks the law for fun, like making pirated copies of films such as 'First Blood' and 'First Blood Part II.' His real passion lies in film-making. Guess who sees the films for the first time, has his imagination stimulated beyond anything he'd previously thought possible and storyboards a sequel to 'First Blood' with an aim to act it out? And speculate who has been conveniently looking for a story to film in order to send it off to a national young filmmakers' competition. That's the story. Two resourceful boys make a film, enduring much laughter and hardship along the way. Being an indie film, it has to include a number of ridiculous and surreal secondary characters, the foremost of which is a French exchange student who is so cool (read: is a transvestite) that schoolgirls line up to beg to be inseminated by him. Predictably, he becomes the star of Proudfoot and Carter's film, but is finally shown to be a dick following an ostentatious set piece that would never happen in real life. Carter's brother on the other hand is the exact opposite of the French kid, being a dick by bullying Carter throughout the film but gaining redemption by the end. There are plenty of other superfluous morons, including a science teacher who commits a number of un-hilarious pratfalls such as stabbing himself in the nose with a pair of scissors or falling over/screaming comically, Proudfoot's entire family (his disabled Grandmother does not, despite what director Garth Jennings believes, evoke feelings of pity for the sister, the mother or Proudfoot himself) and the villainous member of the religious sect who tries to muscle his way in as 'new father figure and mother servicer' in Proudfoot's family. A few positive points can be taken from Son Of Rambow. Bill Milner and Will Poulter both give compelling performances throughout, with the one exception of the scene involving shouting at each other, because it sounds as though both actors are practising reading through their lines for the first time. The compilation of Sylvester Stallone clips as a truculent Rambo is welcome in any film and should possibly be made compulsory. Finally, the focus on religion as the root of evil in the story is a brave and somewhat novel move in a film of this kind. So congratulations on cutting through the saccharine and piquing my interest once, Garth Jennings. In conclusion, by all means watch this if you are, or have the mentality of, an eleven year old boy. It'll give you some great ideas on what to do during a slow summer's day. Also, if you've been struck by uncontrollable giggles, just give Son Of Rambow a look and they'll stop immediately. They actually might not come back for the rest of your life.

If you sometimes feel like all you watch are big-budget 'blockbuster' movies this is the film to remind you what movie-making should be. Attended a preview screening this week, and can't wait for the weekend so I can go back and watch it again. The screening was packed, and the general reaction definitely agreed with my own. There are several 'laugh-out-loud' moments, from the opening titles, to the touching climax, and at many points in between, in a well written, perfectly paced film. I am someone who goes to a lot of movies, and sometimes find myself checking my watch, but this draws you in from the start, and it never loses you. Probably has most appeal for those , like myself, who were in the UK in the 80's but I'm sure it has appeal for all, and hope the two leads go on to further success in the future. There is an innocent charm about the lead pairing, and the movie as a whole, that should transcend national and cultural boundaries.

I recently took this movie in at the 2007 Sundance film festival and am quite glad that I made the effort to sneak this little gem in. The movie was made by the very talented Garth Jennings of the famed music video production team Hammer and Tongs known for their visionary music videos and previously Hitcherhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Set in an average English town in 1982 the movie revolves around the interesting life of a 12-13 year old boy named Will whose family is part of a strict religious group that prohibits him from having any friends outside the group and strictly forbids him from watchings any TV or Movies. Without these usual sources of childhood entertainment Will finds other ways to pass the time, namely in drawing out his flourishing imagination that he scribbles and doodles all over the pages of his bible. One day Will unexpectedly crosses paths with the school terror Carter who also happens to be an amateur bootlegger at the local movie theater. Will, whose never seen a movie before is caught off guard when at Carters home he sees Rambo playing on the TV, the visuals of the movie explode in Will's imaginative mind and from there on out Will is forever changed. An unlikely friendship begins between Will and Carter as they begin production on Carter's home movie masterpiece, Son of Rambow. The two children begin coming closer before their friendship is tested by a new-wave French exchange student Didier Revolve. As the friendship between Will and Carter begins getting twisted so does his relationship with his family, as the church group starts taking notice of Wills more worldly interests. In the end Will must stay true to himself and the film must go on. The performances by all the children were exceptional, especially Carter who is the movie's sparkplug and provides comic relief frequently. As well as Didier the french exchange student who is a text book example of how absurd the whole new wave trends of the day were, his appearances are all wildly amusing. The movie also has a fair amount of quirky animations and dream sequences that offer visual pleasures for the eyes and bring childhood doodles to life. The movie is just a brilliant little idea and it plays out so very well in all the settings and the characters are extremely likable in all manners, the movie should play great for almost all ages

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source: Son of Rambow

It's good..entertaining ... The two boys were so true

Grange Hill meets Lord of the Flies in an unlikely tale of two boys from contrasting backgrounds who decide to make a video as an entry into a kids' TV film-making competition. The bizarre plot has little (if anything) original to say about the story's main themes of tween friendship and dysfunctional parenting. The narrative is poorly constructed and implausible. The mawkish sentimentality of the denouement ranks alongside the most stomach-churning that Disney has ever had the poor taste to dream up. But the performances of the two young leads makes the whole thing forgivable. I loved it and recommend it wholeheartedly.

This film has to be one of the worst I have ever seen. Is it meant to be a comedy, as its no where near funny. Is it meant to be a Rom-com because its not that either, its just plain rubbish! Don't bother, most people in the cinema walked out, and so did I by the end. The plot is boring, the acting, average. It is a low budget film with a low viewer impact. Verdict: 1/10 xxxxx This film has to be one of the worst I have ever seen. Is it meant to be a comedy, as its no where near funny. Is it meant to be a Rom-com because its not that either, its just plain rubbish! Don't bother, most people in the cinema walked out, and so did I by the end. The plot is boring, the acting, average. It is a low budget film with a low viewer impact. Verdict: 1/10

This film is great. The perspective is from a kid's point of view, which accentuates the feelings and actions of the story in a delicious way. The frustrations of youth, from dealing with peer pressures to dealing with parents & siblings, are thoughtfully treated. In short, this film feels "real" - like it could have been a slice of my own childhood, albeit the lines between perceptions, imaginations and actualities blur, as such lines blur in real life. Although mildly violent, I think it's a family film. The themes, though somewhat adult, are real, and the sort of issues that kids really get to deal with, and the issues are resolved, so one is left with a feeling of satisfaction.