The Uncle

source: The Uncle

The Uncle

Those who love movies entered at major film festivals will love it! An art house movie through and through! It only looks like it was made for kiddies, as it features a 7 year old wondering about the world around him. It is about personal discovery, chuksren and grown-ups, dealing with bullying, love, one's place in the society, urban vs ryral and so many other things children begin to get at that age. A masterful cinematography throughout only helps lift the movie to a higher level. A word of caution though - if you're seeking entertainment, skip this one. Plenty of contemplative moments, that fun-seekers will find dull.

I would agree with other reviews that there is a lot of charm in a film which portrays the simple, easy-going childhood of the mid-'60s, and the acting of the children is fine. John Moulder-Brown is always worth ewatching, and he makes a good gang bully here. BUT there are annoyances: the "Gus is an uncle" chant goes on too long and in too many scenes. The kids would have tired of it as the summer hols wore on. I didn't think the interpolated action from comics quite worked, nor the applied soundtrack of real fire-arms when the cap-gun games were taking place. Most improbable was that none of the kids (or their parents) had West Country accents, given the Devon settings. And that goof? The shop-keeper's name is Ream, but on the brass plate of his coffin the name is spelt Reams.

Us in the UK are again thankful to the Talking Pictures channel for showing this little gem. The director is of course well-known for "I Was Happy Here" and "Girl with Green Eyes"; the cast includes Rupert Davies, Brenda Bruce, Maurice Denham and the always reliable Bill Marlowe (who made me wince in the scene where he is assisting in some farmyard castrations!). Special mention to Robert Duncan who plays the 7-Y-O Uncle of the story starting to understand "life" a little too early for his years. Surely this is one of the unsung realistic depictions of childhood? I personally found a bit upsetting (and reminding) the merciless, cruel bullying of the children in their unceasing chanting-but, oh, how so true. Great to see so many cap guns and the kids let loose all day-very accurate mirror of those postwar times! I would put this up there with "Kes" as an accurate portrayal of childhood.

Little seen since it's fleeting original release, Desmond Davis' follow-up to 'The Girl with Green Eyes' vividly evokes both the strange world of childhood and that long-vanished era when films were in black & white, call boxes had a button B, budgerigars sold for a pound, water pistols for a shilling and comics only cost 4d.