Coming of age films – definition

Coming of age films-how can they be defined? What kind of movies are classified as coming of age ?

I have been asked this question almost every time I am discussing theSkyKid.com with friends and partners . There are several definitions available online such as the one that is listed on my movie list page :

“Coming of age movie is a movie where the central plot revolves around a person suddenly facing a life changing experience, trial or tribualtion.That person once was naive or childish or pre-pubescent is now suddenly older and wiser because of the experience. They see life and their place in the universe for the first time.“

Another excellent defenition was given by the Savvy Savage in her blog “ The Story line review ” :

“…Basically, the story features at least one adolescent main character and follows his/her life experiences up to and sometimes through adulthood. It often emphasizes the lessons the character learned that contributed to his/her personal growth that is exhibited in the story…“

Just today I asked this question on Twitter and received another excellent defenition from Mark , acording to him a coming of age is movie is :

” A film that focuses on the psychosocial development of a youth and it often involves great conflict and transformation“

Of course when trying to define a term Wikipedia is another excellent resource one should check. Accoring to it :

“The term coming of age is also used in reference to different media such as stories, songs, movies, etc. that have a young character or characters who, by the end of the story, have developed in some way, through the undertaking of responsibility, or by learning a lesson ” ( source )

I would like to share with you a favorite defenition of the coming of age films given by Walter Chaw in his review of ” Mean Creek ” :

“…a coming-of-age film finds poetry in the struggle to evolve even while the rest world is falling down…“

Walter seems to be an expert on the subject as he wrote another article on it for the Time Out New York where he described a pleasurable template for the coming of age films as :

“An adolescent (or group thereof) goes through a challenging series of bittersweet experiences. He’s forced to put away childish things, emerging a little bruised, sadder but wiser, and more prepared for the travails of adulthood.”

Last but not least I would quote Howard Creech who published an article at Epinions.com titled ” Rite of Passage the 10 best Coming of Age movies” :

” All Coming of Age films share certain thematic similarities the most basic of which is their strong focus on stories of young people on the edge of maturity. There are other important themes that define coming of age including the death of a loved one, falling in love for the first time, and high school graduation. Good coming of age films frequently deal with controversial topics such as sexuality, loss of virginity, or leaving home for the first time but they are rarely exploitative. Rite of passage films are often sentimental and they usually appeal to the emotions, but the good ones never play on the prurient. Generally the adolescent characters are forced to make a decision, the outcome of which will have a significant and life shaping impact on their futures. “

When I started reviewing movies I decided that I should focus on coming of age films as I felt more connected with them than with those in any other genre. Often things that happened to the characters on screen reminded me of events and people from my own experience – which influences the reviews you are seeing at theskykid.com. The variety in the coming of age genre is quite notable – there are comedies , dramas , documentaries …etc . Some people even argue that the coming out films are sub – genre of the coming of age one . Generally there is at least one – good coming of age film that you would be able to relate to your own experience.

The coming of age films have been discuses in various topics in this blog – notable examples are :

“ Coming of age films Boy`s or Girl`s thing “

and

” Best coming of age movies made for TV“

What is your own definition of a coming of age film ? You can live me a comment in here or send me a replay @skykid in Twitter .

MY DOG SKIP (2000) ****1/2 movie review by THE SMALL TOWN CRITIC

Hi, folks! Gracias to SkyKid for giving me the chance to write a guest review. I’m Coop from Smalltowncritic.com and I decided to pull out one of my first reviews which also happens to be one of my favorite coming of age films. “My Dog Skip” is near and dear to my heart because it depicts life and growing up in Mississippi (my home state) accurately and thoughtfully. Enjoy!

Everyone remembers their childhood dogs and the impact they’ve had on their life. Perhaps one dog in particular sticks out in your mind… A special dog that was there for you in the toughest or best years of your life. That is what this screen adaptation of Willie Morris’ “My Dog Skip” conveys in a fun, nostalgic and heartbreaking kind of way. Morris, recounts the autobiographical memoir of his childhood in Yazoo City, Mississippi and the four-legged friend that accompanied him on his journey into manhood.

Set in the backdrop of the war-torn world of the 1940’s, young Willie (Frankie Muniz) is on the verge of his ninth birthday. His only real friend, neighbor and high school sports hero, Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson) leaves to go off and fight in WWII, leaving Willie feeling alone in the world. To lift Willie’s spirits, his mother (Diane Lane) decides to defy the wishes of his stern father (Kevin Bacon) and buy Willie a Jack Russell terrier puppy. The unusually smart and charismatic dog, Skip, quickly becomes a local institution and helps Willie gain respect, make friends and even win over his first girlfriend.

There are a few subplots, that help the story along nicely. One involves Dink Jenkins who leaves town a hero and returns from the war in disgrace and a drunk after going AWOL in battle. Another involves Willie’s father, a shell-shocked, Spanish Civil War veteran, who overprotects and underestimates his bookish son. It’s through Willie’s relationship to Skip that inspires these too men heal their wounds. One subplot that didn’t seem to hold as much water is one involving two moonshine dealers who put Willie and Skip’s lives in danger on more than one occasion. This appeared to be a fictional device similar to something out of Huckleberry Finn and seemed a bit cartoonish, but it’s a minor detail in what turned out to be a simple, yet moving story.

The young Morris is outstandingly played by Frankie Muniz, now a household name due to his success on TV’s “Malcolm in the Middle.” His acting is very mature and shows shades of emotions very effectively. Both Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane do decent jobs of portraying caring and concerned parents. Luke Wilson exceeds his normal comedy boundaries and pulls off the disgraced town hero with surprising effectiveness. However it’s the dog that steals the show… or should I say dogs. “Moose” (Eddie from TV’s Frasier) and his son “Enzo” play the older and younger Skip respectively. Look for them in more movies, commercials and TV shows to come. I guarantee you’ll see them.

Director/Executive Producer Jay Russell pulls off an impressive effort being that this is only his second feature film. His first effort was the little-seen, independent film “End of the Line” in which he also worked with Kevin Bacon. Russell, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, insisted on shooting “Skip” entirely in Mississippi. He and his producers chose the town of Canton, which is also where the screen adaptation of John Grisham’s “A Time To Kill.” The spectacular photography of the town and the surrounding rural areas resulted in some of the most colorful and verdant footage of the state I have ever seen.

The message of this film is very clear and invokes plenty of nostalgia to anyone who can identify growing up in a rural town. It’s about passing into adulthood, remembering old friends long gone, and the desire to remember or relive happy moments in our lives that may be fading from our memory. Morris is certainly a master at preserving his own memories by writing it down for others to enjoy. I truly believe that this story is his gift, not only to the people of Mississippi, but to all who want to remember their past, and the friends they left behind.

This movie is PG, a rating which might run off some of the older crowd, but it’s truly a movie for everyone. Most films geared for children these days depend on lame, pop-culture references and gas-passing jokes in a patronizing attempt to entertain the younger masses. This movie rises above all of that to become one of the most watchable non-Disney film for children since 1993’s “Searching for Bobby Fischer.”

Scale of 1-5:
4 ½

Most refreshing aspect of the movie:
The entire production was shot so effectively that it seemed that it genuinely conveyed feeling of growing up in rural Mississippi. The attention to detail and the accuracy of the time period are phenomenal. I felt completely immersed in this world and felt the full effect of this moving story. Even the southern accents were much better than average.

Biggest gripe:
Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane’s characters were strong, but didn’t get enough screentime to fully develop. Willie’s friendship with a young black boy was never given a chance to develop either, probably in an effort by the filmmakers to avoid focusing on the segregation issues of the time period. The issue is addressed, but I feel that the African-American characters should have had bigger, more substantial parts.

Biggest surprise:
The character of “Skip” and the dogs that played him. They were so likeable and effective in this film that the personality of Skip was the most developed of all the characters. I congratulate the animal trainers in this film for teaching these dogs to do seemingly impossible feats.

-Coop

Come by and visit!

Frantsuz

Russian directors never disappointed me when it comes to directing a good coming-of-age drama. Galina Daneliya-Yurkova left her distinctive mark on Frantsuz – creating a real cinematic experience for its viewers.

Frantsuz is one of those films I had heard a lot before I got a chance to watch it. The film is an adaptation of the novel ” Waiting for a Goat ” ( “V ozhidanii kozy“) written by Yevgeni Dubrovin – one of the best novelists in Russian literature. The story is set in the post-military town in the Soviet Union. Victor,12 and Vlad,7 are two free-spirited brothers who live alone with their mother. The father has been gone for many years and they have been told by their mother that died at the front defending their homeland. He has been described by her as “a very strong man with an iron character who worked as a blacksmith”

One night their father shows up. It turns out that he had been imprisoned in France during the war. He immediately starts his efforts to establish his fatherly authority seeing that his sons are being spoiled by their mother – the boys however earnestly counterbalance them. It comes to no surprise as his views of responsibility and discipline involve frequent whippings – he wants to make them hard-working and responsible – but Vlad and Victor and not too happy with the new arrangements :

” Forced labor, – I said – is widely used in ancient Romans and Greeks. It was called slavery. But in the future humanity knowingly waived it, as slave labor was a non-reliatively difficult to free man.
The phrase turned out to be very beautiful. My father even stopped to eat.
Well enough! – Father slapped a hand across the table. – Maybe so, but you should listen to your parents “

The brothers get a supporter in the face of their uncle who also returns from captivity. He convinces a Jewish chemist who liked his sister to make her a marriage proposal even if it is known that her husband is alive and is at home.

Frantsuz is a movie that can teach its viewers a lot of things. As you watch it you will gain the understanding that The relationship between children and parents should be built on the principles of equality and mutual respect.

The acting in the film was good – and aside from the very young protagonists Yuri Zvyagintsev and Aleksandr Biryukov I enjoyed the performance of Sergei Shakurov in the role of the father. He was very convincible in the role of strict father which almost made me want to join the pact of the boys ( myself being spoiled as well ) .

Frantsuz like many other Russian films from that time was slightly military-themed – which only made it more enjoyable to watch. A similar movie is The Return ( original name Vozvrashcheniye) which can be summarized as ” The plot seems simple at first- two boys meet their father for the first time after 12 years absence ” – if interested you can read its review which I wrote about a year ago at theskykid.com . Both films get a high recommendation from me and I would be thankful if you share your views on them in the comments below!

The book “V ozhidanii kozy” is available for free at Lib.ru

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This review would have not been possible without the valuable support of CVMC: The oldest movie rental service on the Internet — since 1998. Specializing in hard-to-find & rare films from around the world. I would like to thank them for supporting theSkyKid.com by providing the DVD of Frantsuz. Check out the film`s page site at the CVMC.net

Ready? OK! (2008)

Ready? OK! is a fun and inspirational film. I enjoyed watching it as the film has influences from two of my favorite films: Billy Elliot and But I Am A Cheerleader. This movie follows the adventures of 10-year-old (almost 11) Josh Dowd (Lurie Poston), an energetic young boy studying in a rather strict private religious school and is on its wrestling team. But Josh is not that interested in wrestling. He would like to join the school’s cheerleader team and wears a homemade button on which is the face of his favorite varsity wrestler.

School officials disapprove of Josh’s attempts to join the cheerleader team. He is told to ” forget all hopes that he would ever join the team.” But then, as the movie continues, the viewer sees how cheerful the young boy is as he doesn’t give up hope. He says, “Hey! I’m not trying to break the rules – but change them!”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if more people had his attitude?

The character development in the film is quite well accomplished, as we gradually learn a lot of new things about Josh, his mom, uncle, and even his “artistic” neighbor. Carrie Preston plays the challenging role of the overworked mom, who doesn’t have time for her son. She worries that she might have trouble at her job as people could decide that she is not “what they are looking for”. She also frets that her expectations for her son are not being fulfilled, and her confusion makes her admit that she doesn’t know what to do…or say about him. That is until she is told by their neighbor that, to him, “Josh is one of the smartest, funniest, most sensitive little boys he has ever had a pleasure of knowing” and that she is missing an amazing opportunity of being there for him, helping him to be himself – not what others are expecting him to be.

Is Josh in troble ? — **Is Josh in trouble?**

My own experience with cheerleaders is from the time I was studying in the US. That’s the very first time I saw cheerleading teams, and the team at our school was the bomb ( I had a bit of a crush on one of the girls on the team ). And we also had our own Josh (of course, his name was different), the only boy on the cheerleading team. And, yes, like the boy in the movie, he got teased for it. I have to admit that I admired him, as sometimes it takes some guts to stand up for yourself and do what you like to be doing.

While Ready? OK! was created to be more funny and entertaining than serious. I believe that many will discover something of themselves in the film. Family, acceptance, determination, and love are all mixed in 91 minutes, which I believe you’ll find quite enjoyable.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rabQrSlSdGQ

Best coming of age films made for TV

Recently I watched Skellig starring Bill Milner and was amazed how such a good movie was released as a made for TV movie. Then I remembered that some of my favorites films were too intended for TV. According to Wikipedia :

“The term “made-for-TV movie” was coined in the United States in the early 1960s as an incentive for movie audiences to stay home and watch what was promoted as the equivalent of a first-run theatrical motion picture” [1]

The production and quality of films such as Skellig in many cases are superior that many full feature which are issued as theatrical offerings. Some of them end up as DVD when they have been aired enough and this makes their distribution easier. An example for such movie is the US drama based on real story ” The Interrogation of Michael Crowe” – another example is the Australian film “Captain Johnno” which I reviewed recenly in theskykid.com. Another good made for TV movie is Feather Boy starring Thomas Sangster .

skellig

I wrote this post with an intention to tell you about some great coming of age films made by TV – but am well aware that there must be more out there . Do you know such films ? Which one is your favorite ?

Apollo 3 – the album

The Apollo 3 mania is spreading around the world. When I introduced them at theSkyKid.com I was not even able to imagine that they would become that famous in such a short time. Currently the postI wrote about them has been seen by more than 1400 people – 53 people left comments – most of them fan girls who would do everything to get more information about their favorite band. The Apollo 3 single made most of their fans – me including – excited and impatient for the release of their first album – and now it became available at Amazon.comand variety of other retailers . The management of Apollo 3 is doing miracles in promoting the band – and even you can show their support by voting for their song at Viva.tv or by buying the single or / and the album. One thing they lack – is enough information about them – being available in English – which is a must for every band nowadays especially if the word about it spreads so fast. That gap is being filed by me ( the post is available in Russian as well ) . Of course I could not ignore the huge interest to Apollo 3 and would try to give you some insights of what you can expect from the album.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNR2hWyFrAs

Starting with the basics – the album has 14 songs :

1. Countdown – a cool space intro of the album. It is just that – not a song – but I tend to like it. Gil Ofarim used to have similar intros to his albums

2. Startschuss – the song was familiar with me – probably because it was included in the single as Time Machine Mix- which also included the songs Adrenalin,Warum and Keine Angst vor euch. Its a great song and the lyrics can be picked up easily – which makes singing along a great experience ( :

3.Superhelden – I have written all about the single ” Superhelden ” in my previous post about Apollo – there you can also watch its video clip. I would just confirm once again that listening to it while cycling or hanging out by the skate ramps totally rocks .

4. Wir sind– a ballad like song , perfect for the nights by the beach .

5. Brich mein Herz – I liked the rhythm in that song . It also had some great digital sound effects

6. Adrenalin – my favorite song of the album. So full with energy that I can`t believe that someone could listen to it calmly – perfect for all kinds of extreme sports . My little cousin adores is as well ( he is into Parkour)

7. Warum – now ” Warum ” is my favorite word in German. In the courses I took before someone said it in one of those audio recordings you have to listen and I immediately picked it. The song is good – and their voices sound really cool – I imagine that the girls must be going crazy while listening to ” Warum ” – it`s just this kind of song .

8. Boese – for the rap fans – so they are into rap music in addition to rockers . Boese is one of those songs that tends to stick to your mind – and they even sing a bit in English ( talk rather ) .

9. Wie ein Komet – after all the band members of Apollo 3 are just boys – and this is the most boyish song of the album.

10. Verliebt – a special song for all the girls in love with Apollo 3 – you know who you are .

11 . Kein Ding – I can`t recall the style of this song – but it had a totally different sounding than the rest of the songs in the album. It is something like Hip- Hop I guess – in fact reminded me of Othenic O – typical German rap vibe.

12. Keine Angst vor Euch – rock and roll baby . Super coool song .

13.Fuer Dich– yet another ballad . Loved it !

14. Licht aus – rap song …a bit weird …

So that`s my first impressions – I would love if you share yours in the comments . At the same time please avoid comments which look like ” Henry du bist soooooooooooooooooooooooo cooooll ” – this has been said and I am sure that the band would like to read something more constructive – in order to see how their album is being accepted . The boys gave it all – Henry performed the song from heart and would amaze you with his incredible voice . Marvin, who is MC, gives the tracks with his tremendous stylistic rap coolness. And Dario, with his razor-sharp and tons heavy guitar riffs for the rock Adrenalin factor.

Apollo 3 – Three guys, one mission.

The Cistern

Feeling like an experienced movie viewer ? Are you able to understand even the more twisted plots and the director`s ideas ? If you can answer yes on those questions that you might be able to help me out in understanding the Greek film “Akrovates tou kipou” known also as “The Cistern”.

Most of the scenes feature a bunch of eleven years old who ride their bikes , hang out and dive into a concrete cistern. My mom who watched the film with me said that showing boys riding bikes is pretty cliched for Greek movies – which is guess was her opinion because the last movie we saw together was Uranya.

The story is based on the autobiographical novel written by the film`s director. While in writings it might have been understandable – I must say that the film was quite dis-joined . A friend of mine called its ” puzzle like ” and compared it with ” Babel ” . However he like me and my mom remained disappointed as we all missed the point which the movie`s director Christos Dimas tried to make. At the beginning it felt like I was watching several films in one – color scenes were mixed with black and white ones, series of flashback are used to switch the scene to the past and present – the cinematography is quite average as the camera often moved or zoomed too fast . The friend of mine who was with me and my mom watching the film commented that he found it strange that by the middle of the film – he still could not sort out who is who and remember the names in the film. I myself was quite confused by this flick. If there is a coming of age value in The Cistern I failed to recognize it. I don`t think that film is appealing to the international audience – as MissPiggyGR from United Kingdom mentioned in her comment about it in its IMDB page – to me the refference to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and military rule in Greece was rather unclear and vague.

The Cistern is a challenging movie to watch and understand. I did not like it – but would probably watch it again some day and may be then I will be able to grasp its meaning. If you have seen it – let me know your opinion on it. If not – I would say that unless you are familiar with the Greek culture you would be better of watching another film.

Derek Elley wrote a big review of The Cistern for Variety and I think that he does a good job in interpreting the scenes in the film. Check out his review. In addition the CVMC web site who provided this film for review has an interesting discription of the film`s plot – which you can find on the link below :

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This review would have not be possible without the valuable support of CVMC : The oldest movie rental service on the Internet — since 1998. Specializing in hard to find & rare films from around the world. I would like to thank them for supporting theSkyKid.com by providing rare films for your enjoyment. Check out the film`s page site at the CVMC.net

Captain Johnno (1988)

Captain Johnno is a telemovie from the Australian Touch the Sun series. The film is quite famous in Australia and in 1988 won the International Emmy Award.

Its main protagonist is the partly deaf 10-year-old named Johnno. He lives with his family in a small fishing town. His sister Julie helps him at school and keeps the local bullies away from him.

Johnno’s life changes when his sister has to depart to a boarding school. Johnno fears that he won’t be able to manage without her and tries to convince his parents not to let her go or to let him go with her.

He doesn’t yet know that they are considering sending him to a special school for people with hearing disabilities. When he finds out, he runs away and sails to a nearby island where he plans to live a Robinson Crusoe-style life away from the complex problems of society.

This film raises several issues about family life and its conflicts, responsibilities and adjustments. In addition, there are three main character relationships which one should pay attention to as they are important for the plot development. The first one is between Johnno and his sister. She is there for him, but one day has to leave and this distresses him. Their parting scene with her crying in the back seat of the bus and him running after it is one of the most emotional cinema scenes I have ever seen.

The second important relationship is the friendship between Johnno and an Italian immigrant, Tony, who is a newcomer to Australia and cannot speak English well. They form a strong bond because, in a way, they are both outsiders and the object of ridicule by others. Tony is glad to have a friend like Johnno. He listens to the boy and respects him for who he is.

The third relationship viewers should focus on is the one between Johnno and his father. While it is clear that the parents love their son, his father, in my opinion, behaved like a moron. He did not even know his son and, in a way, the viewer could sense his shame because of Johnno’s disability. He never listens to what his son has to say or tries to understand what he means, as if deafness has anything to do with Johnno’s thinking abilities. Even if at the end of the film his father reconsiders his attitude toward his son, I could never completely forgive him. But I guess that’s something each must witness and judge for oneself.

The acting in the film is quite good. Damien Walters is in the role of Johnno and delivers a performance that made me wonder how is it possible to portray a deaf boy so realistically. I later found out that the young actor was deaf himself. Another actor leaving a large impression on me for his acting abilities was Joe Petruzzi in the role of the Italian immigrant.

Overall I liked the film. It has many life lessons both for its characters and its viewers. The film is quite emotional and I think that many fans of the Coming-of-Age genre would appreciate it. A similar flick is the British film Dear Frankie, which I also recommend.

Several video clips are available on the Australian Screen`s website.

Je suis le seigneur du château

Je suis le seigneur du château ( I’m the King of the Castle ) is a really famous movie. If you are hearing about it for the first time, I would say that I envy you as you will view it for the first time. I can assure you that once you do, you will remember it for quite a while.

The film is a screen adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel, I am the King of the Castle. ( After seeing the film, the book is on my must-read list ) The film is a mixture of thriller and drama. Its director is Régis Wargnier, who does an incredible job of portraying childhood jealousy and the misunderstanding and confusion of the adult world. The excellent directing is complete with the most suitable soundtrack for such a dramatic tale. Classical music from Sergei Prokofiev. His hefty and intense music certainly manages to suggest the dismally dark undercurrents and elemental forces which can lead only to tragedy. As soon as the final credits rolled, I rushed out to find some music of his to listen to and am doing that at this very moment while writing this review. ( you can do the same while reading it )

After the death of his wife, Jean Breaud, decides to hire a maid for his son. Relatives recommend Ms. Vernet to him, and he decides that she will be an excellent choice. Ms. Vernet has a son of the same age as his own, and he hopes that the boys will become playmates and friends. However, things don’t go as planned. Thomas (Breaud’s son) is a spoiled and yet fragile rich kid. To him, Charles, the son of the maid, is an intruder, and he decides to make his life as miserable as possible. He develops a plan to get Charles and his mother out of his father’s castle. Irritated that Charles does not follow him around, he tells him that he is in charge and that he is to obey him. He cites the reason is that his mother is an employee at his father’s castle. They are poor, unlike him and his dad. Seeing that this won’t be enough, Thomas goes on with his plan by throwing stones and hiding dead birds in Charle`s bed …

At the same time, Ms. Vernet and Jean Breaud fall in love. This irritates further Thomas, who now has yet another reason to hate his maid and her son. His actions could be compared with Macaulay Culkin’s character in the film ” The Good Son. ” However, as Pedro Aguiar mentions in his review of the film published at IMBD – “childish cruelty here is not a psycho obsession, but rather a means of defence which is later surpassed.”

seigneur62

Regis Arpin and David Behar are cast to play the roles of Thomas and Charles. They deliver outstanding performance in very challenging roles. I was surprised to find out that neither of the young actors pursued further cinema careers, a real pity considering their immense talents.

I would recommend this movie for all to see—at least true fans of the cinema and, in particular, the coming of age genre. The film is a real masterpiece, and it should be in everyone’s collection.

Check out this beautiful clip with scenes with the film ( warning: may include spoilers )

The Greenhouse effect

I knew about the Greenhouse effect for a while. It has been recommended for me several times . I thought that the film`s will be a sci-fi and will deal with some outer space – but when I finally saw it – I found out that my idea of it was quite wrong. For a better that is – as Greenhouse effect turned out to be excellent even if overwhelming sad coming of age drama. I really liked it – and even trough it has been released on DVD I tend to think of it as a festival film.

Greenhouse effect has 2 young protagonists :

Rita (Elena Polyakova) is a naive young girl from the province. She comes to Moscow to look for a man she met up with 4 months ago. We soon find out that she is pregnant and is hoping that when she finds him – he would take care of her and the baby. Once in Moscow thieves steal her luggage and she finds herself with no money , documents and on top of that she doesn`t know how to find her friend as his address was written on a piece of paper that she had in her briefcase .

The second young protagonist of the film is Ernest (Aleksandr Yakin) – a homeless 12 years old boy who lives in a Greenhouse , baths in a car wash and tries to earn some money by begging in the station and taking various odd jobs in the city. He is smart boy – street wise and has learned a lot about survival and people from the streets . He dreams of heading to Greece with another street kid – who is being hold in hospital for operation . The young actor Aleksander Yakin fits perfectly his role – in an interview the film director mentions that Aleksander has a complicated biography himself and something about his life, shown in the picture. The directors also stated that the 14-year-old actor has demonstrated surprisingly mature understanding of the meaning of the difficult role of homeless kid.

Ernest meets Rita at the station. When he finds out that she doesn`t have where to go – he takes her to the Greenhouse where he spends his nights. He teaches her a lot about life in the streets – as despite his younger age he is not a novice on the streets and the life there has teaches him the rules for survivals – in a sense he acts as a mentor to the 18 year old Rita. Their relationship has a central role in the movie`s plot . They learn a lot from each other and the life – which contributes to the notable value this movie has for all fans of the coming of age genre.

The directing and the camerawork in the film are quite unique. Sepia colour filters are being used at times and some scenes are shoot from a fast moving car or train. One gets an idea of the beauty and the brutality of Moscow as the down makes an intriguing background for the events in the film. The cinematography in The Greenhouse effect is similar to the ones you will see in another post-Soviet Russian films such as The Return and Koktebel ( which I highly recommend as well ) .

Overall I was quite impressed with the film and after seeing it I will definitely find time to thank everyone who recommended it to me. Like every good drama the movie gets harsh to watch at times – as its features many touching and emotional scenes . I myself got quite emotional while watching the final scenes – angry at Rita and worried about Ernest and his sacrifice …

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This review would have not be possible without the valuable support of CVMC : The oldest movie rental service on the Internet — since 1998. Specializing in hard to find & rare films from around the world. I would like to thank them for supporting theSkyKid.com by providing rare films for your enjoyment . Check out the films page site at the CVMC.net

Information about the film and interview with its director ( in Russian )

Review of the film at KinoKultura

Cheesecake (2008)

Do you want to see a really good film ? Film that will make you think – what is happening , why is it happening ? Film that will surprise you – an indie film …Yes ? Then you definitely should check out the new Russian film Cheesecake . Reviewing it i not an easy task as I would not want to spoil your experience . The first scenes you will see are related to the story – even trough you will discover this further in the film . What you have to focus your attention on is an add – yes an add – I know that you are used to skip those while they are screening on TV – but this add – this add is special and so are the people who act in it.

Meet Mikhail(Sergey Chonishvili) – he is a doctor . He works till late , gets tired – his mother is worried about him as he recently split up with the girl he lived with. The film director made sure that the viewer gets to know Michail – and decide for themselves if he is a good or bad man or just a man with many problems. Sergey Chonishvili is a well known actor in Russia and his performance in the film is nothing short of perfect.

Second meet Natasha (Olga Lomonosova) – she is an actress – stars mainly in TV adds , has a boyfriend to whom is rather attached , but this does not stop her to full around with the producer of the commercial. Her character is not as well defined throughout the movie as the one of Mikhail – but the actress Olga Lomonosova makes sure that we remember each scenes in which she appears.

Last – but not least – meet the 13-year old boy Alesha (Pavel Melenchuk). He and Michel are the lead characters in the film. He is a very smart and talented kid – he make his bad , cleans around the house , washes , cooks – studies hard at school and is extremely polite. But he has a problem – no father and an alcoholic mother who calls him names and is indifferent of his existence .

One day – a coincidence bring those thee character together – in a commercial of a Cheesecake. On the advertising shoot, they depict a happy family in Moscow: smile, drink tea. They don`t even suspect that the fate has prepared for them big surprises and twists…at least not until one night Mikhail discovers Alesha – on the floor Matt in front of his apartment . Alesha asks Michael to allow him spent the night at his house. Michal thinks about it – he doesn`t like the idea – as he hardly knows the boy – but after some thoughts he eventually agrees .

From that moment on the young movie director Eugene Zvezdakova takes the viewers of her film to a wild roller coaster ride – to a journey with an unknown end. Cheesecake is a thriller , a psychological drama or a coming of age film – or why not all of those mixed together- the film is not yet listed in IMBD – but if you know Russian you can learn a great deal about it at its page at RussianArt.com

Roman Mysteries

I was not going to write about the TV series ” Roman Mysteries ” – assuming that all of you have heard of it . However yesterday while I was chatting with Ikarus – when I mentioned that I was currently watching the series he told me that he never heard of them – so I decided that after all they deserve to at least be mentioned at theSkyKid.com. I must admit that I am not a big fan of TV series – but they do a fine job when I am tired or don`t have time to watch a full length film .

Roman Mysteries follows the stories of Flavia, Nubia, Jonathan, and Lupus, four young friends growing up in Ancient Rome. The TV series are based on the books by Caroline Lawrence. I haven`t read them yet – but would like to do that soon. The series were filmed in Bulgaria , Malta and UK with a budget exceeding 10 millions British pounds – which is probably why the overall image in the series is quite good. The casting is quite good for TV series – and most of the actors delivered good performances .

roman-mysteries

I have always been interest in ancient history – Greek , Rome , Visantian empire . I even took classes in Latin while I was attending high school and even I found it rather hard language I really enjoyed the classes ( much thanks to my teachers ) . Roman Mysteries could entertain – but I am not so sure if there is much of educational value in them. At the end I guess – my opinion on Roman Mysteries is a bit biased – as I myself am found of the popular “Rome” series – as they seem to be more intense and intriguing .

http://youtu.be/DsL_yria6Ew

IMDB page

Official web site of the book on which the series are based

If you have seen the series please feel free to leave a comment with your impression on them as this is sure to help people who hear for them for a very first time.

TheSkyKid.com

TheSKyKid.com