Microbe and Gasoline (2015)
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
– C.S. Lewis
Daniel and Theo (Ange Dargent and Theophile Baquet) are both misfits at their school.
Nicknamed Microbe & Gasoline – one for his short stature and youthful appearance and the other with hands always dirty with engine oil — the boys become friends and decide to run away from the daily routine by embarking on a tour of France with a curious vehicle they have built themselves out of a bed frame, tires and a lawnmower motor — all picked up at the junkyard.
As such, the bizarre self-built vehicle is banned from using the roads, so the boys create an intriguing camouflage.
Microbe & Gasoline is first and foremost a Coming-of-Age film, although some similarities with other films in the genre (The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, Motorama, North Sea Is Dead Sea) could categorize it as a road-film as well. As the two boys’ adventure turns out to be one of self-discovery, the road can be considered a metaphor for adolescence. With healthy doses of nostalgia, humor, teenage awkwardness, and budding sexuality – this French film is an atypical yet wholesome portrayal of the rite-of-passage we all go through.
The original storyline of Microbe & Gasoline (much like Ursula Meier`s 2009 masterpiece Home) is refreshingly imaginative. It is simple and easy to follow, but it focuses on some big themes – individuality, friendship, and Coming-of-Age.
Both of the title protagonists are newcomers to the cinema. Ange Dargent and Theophile Baquet have undeniable chemistry and deliver natural performances resulting in dynamic characters. Daniel is an introvert, while Theo is an extrovert, which results in intriguing interactions. Each character seems to possess a quality that completes the other. Characterization in this film is done predominantly via the conversations between the two boys. This dialogue is filled with life hacks and pearls of wisdom regardless of the topic discussed (life, uniqueness of people, girls, love, or even masturbation).
It is easy to identify with either Daniel or Theo as we have all experienced one or many of their tribulations and adventures on the way to adulthood. It’s a process unavoidably accompanied by a sense of tender melancholy as sometimes in life, we lose more than our innocence. That justifies the film’s touching finale, which puts a realistic yet harsh ending to one great adventure.
[imdb]https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3882000/reference[/imdb]
Microbe & Gasoline Trailer
Microbe and Gasoline (2015)
In short
While first and foremost a Coming-of-Age film, Microbe and Gasoline might also be considered by some to be a road film. The narrative is filled with healthy doses of nostalgia, humor, teenage awkwardness, and budding sexuality.
Character/Acting
Score/Soundtrack
Cinematography
Storyline/Screenplay
Production
Direction
3.8
Our score
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Summer Rebels (2020)
Featuring a simple, lighthearted story, the 2020 film Summer Rebels has all the right ingredients to deliver an enjoyable experience in front of the screen. Curiously enough, the straightforwardness of the plot is what wins the viewer over.
It’s a story revolving around eleven-year-old Jonas (Elias Vyskocil) and his adventures during an unusual summer vacation. The boy is used to spending his holidays in Slovakia, with his father and grandfather, enjoying rafting and fishing in the local river.
But everything changed when his father died. The family moves to Germany, and Jonas’s mother is not enthusiastic about letting her son spend a Slovakian vacation. Determined to enjoy the summer, the boy rebels and runs away from home, catching a train to his beloved grandad. Upon arrival, however, Jonas finds that things have also changed there.
An exceptional casting
Much of the film’s appeal is due to its exceptional casting. Elias Vyskocil, as Jonas, is present in just about every scene. His cheeky expressions (often emphasized with long close-up shots), boyish smirks, and ability to portray a wide range of emotions significantly boost his character’s sympathy factor. His sidekick Alex, a tomboyish girl, played by Liana Pavlikova, is equally talented. While her role is a supporting one, the interaction between the two is a joy to watch. That interaction establishes friendship as one of the prominent motifs of the narrative.
The musical score
The musical score is another strong point of the film as it sets a real brisk and fun tone with a unique selection of songs that have lyrics matching the events on-screen (mainly in English and German).
With its first-rate cinematography characterized by vivid colors, great framing, and modern editing techniques, the filmmakers have captured the essence of childhood and summer adventures.
An easy-going children’s film
Summer Rebels is essentially an easy-going children’s film, without much drama or manipulative emotions tied to its story. Per se, a few things could have been better explored – such as a potential romance (as first-love is so frequently addressed in Coming-of-Age cinema) or the relationship between Jonas and his late father. Yet it is also possible that the film manages to keep the lightness of its narrative precisely because the story remains vague — just a simple but heartwarming summer adventure.
Trailer for Summer Rebels (2020)
Summer Rebels (2020)
In short
A story revolving around an eleven-year-old boy and his adventures during an unusual summer vacation.
4.5
Our score
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The Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter That Changed My Life (2012)
Eric Tessier‘s 2012 French Canadian film The Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter That Changed My Life (2012) is an inspirational sport themed Coming-of-Age film. It follows the story of Janeau Trudel (Antoine Olivier Pilon), a 12-year-old hockey prodigy who moves to a new city with his dad following his mother’s tragic death. Janeau meets the overly confident and determined Julie (Alice Morel-Michaud), who convinces him to join the local junior hockey in which she is a goalie.
Unfortunately, some of the kids on the team do not view Janeau’s arrival in a positive light, for his skills threaten to outshine their own. Janeau has a hard time being accepted by the team, especially by its captain Joey, who is under constant pressure from his father to lead the team and be the best player at all costs. When the team qualifies for the Quebec Pee-Wee hockey tournament, the stakes are raised even higher.
The filmmakers behind The Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter That Changed My Life aspired to make a moral statement. They managed to achieve that in a manner that is equally compelling to viewers of all age groups, from believing in oneself through the importance of teamwork to achieve common goals while making the necessary compromises and putting aside bad feelings. The Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter That Changed My Life is a sports-oriented flick, and as such, it shares some of the typical traits of Coming-of-Age sports films – it is motivating and reasonably predictable.
There are humorous exchanges between the characters at times, but unlike films such as Kicking And Screaming and Carlitos and the Chance of a Lifetime, which feature more comic relief, the story in this film contains more dramatic overtones.
While the action scenes on the ice (at least one-third of the film’s scenes show the kids playing hockey) are refreshingly vibrant, the story also addresses themes such as overambitious parents, dealing with one’s loss of a loved person, friendship, jealousy, and others one would expect from a Coming-of-Age narrative.
The young cast of the film is good across the board as the acting is convincing and credible both on the ice and off it. The characters are dynamic, deeply affected, and influenced by the action of the plot and the variety of conflicts (both internal and external) they must address and resolve.
Although there is a central character (and an excellent supporting one – by the only girl on the team played admirably well by Alice Morel-Michaud), one doesn’t identify with the players on an individual level, but rather sympathizes with the teammates as a whole. It’s an ensemble casting done right, enabling viewers of all ages to sense the team spirit acutely. There is a nostalgic tinge taking me back beside my teammates from the high-school Cross Country and Triathlon teams.
Predominately the filmmakers use a subjective point of view by having the camera participate in the action. Examples are scenes with close-ups on the eyes and those that are dynamic and filled with energy, often with the hockey puck seen flying straight at the viewer. The visual rhythm of the film is fitting with a theme that is vibrant and modern using montage techniques that emphasize the tension and energy of the action on the screen. Additional camera techniques that are utilized to empathize intense moments or emotions are slow motion and extreme close-ups.
The musical score includes a variety of energetic pop songs enhancing the action. Simultaneously, the sound effects of arena noises and cheering crowds make one feel the competitive nature of hockey as a sport.
The Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter That Changed My Life offers a glimpse into the world of junior hockey but, thanks to its universal messages, one doesn’t have to be an aficionado of this particular sport to enjoy its story. In fact, the film’s story is going to be adapted in France with Handball instead of Hockey — showing the universal nature of the plot.
Although the story is predictable and contains clichés (such as having a Russian hockey team as the ultimate sports rival), the film is guaranteed to engage young and older audiences alike.
It is available for free (with English subtitles) for Amazon Prime members at Amazon Video.
Trailer
The Pee-Wee 3D: The Winter That Changed My Life (2012)
In short
An inspirational sport themed Coming-of-Age film with a great story, good acting and exceptional camera work.
4.5
Our score
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The Perfect Game (2009)
The Perfect Game follows the story of a group of boys from the small industrial town of Monterrey, Mexico. They dream big of travelling to America and playing in the Little League World Series (baseball) one day. When a former employee of the St. Louis Cardinals moves back home to Monterrey, the boys attempt to enlist him as their coach for Monterrey’s first Little League team.
As a story, this has got to be one of the best underdog sports stories of all time.
Brothers (2015)
Interpersonal relationships can be complicated, even if they are between siblings. Robert Eggers‘s 2015 short film Brothers manages to turn a conflictive family relationship into an atmospheric Coming-of-Age drama. The story’s tension rises in a slow yet consistent manner as one observes the interaction between the two brothers and their autocratic grandmother.
Shot on location in the rural New Hampshire woods, the film features a convincing and natural performance by the young actors in the lead roles: Ethan Sailor and Griffin Fox-Smith. Aided by competent editing, the actors’ physical appearance sketches their inner worlds’ complexity, focusing on the various ways in which the older brother attempts to suppress his younger sibling. While expected, the climax is poignant enough, although the final scene may raise some questions in the viewer’s minds.
http://youtu.be/SOerrMKjL-A
Brothers (2015)
In short
The short film "Brothers" manages to turn a conflictive family relationship into an atmospheric Coming-of-Age drama.
4.2
Our score
