Summer is fast approaching and few things are as refreshing as a little short film with an adorable Coming-of-Age story. Luckily director Jeroen Houben offers just the right one with his 2015 Gips(Plaster – International English title) .
The premise of the story is slightly tragic as it’s concerned with one of the terrible disasters that could happen to any young person’s summer vacation – a broken arm and a cast guaranteed to get in the way of all the fun. And that’s exactly what 12-year-old Pelle (Rohan Timmermans) has to deal with in Gips.
Despite the desolate situation in which they have placed their young protagonist, the filmmakers have opted for a witty and entertaining way to tell his story. They are aided by some excellent camera work that allows us to see the world through Pelle’s eyes and a melodic musical score infused with summer laziness. And thanks to the great acting and adorable appearance of Rohan Timmermans, it’s impossible not to sympathize with his character.
Rohan Timmermans as Pelle in Gips 2015
A surprising twist at end will bring a smile to the viewer’s face and I guarantee you will feel refreshed. A bitter-sweet Coming-of-Age cocktail of youthful experiences – give the 2015 Dutch short film a go.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4681026/combined
Gips (2015)
Summary
Gips is a bitter-sweet Coming-of-Age cocktail of youthful experiences. Recommended!
Ártún (2014) is the fourth Coming-of-Age film from Iceland I’ve reviewed on the site, and, like most Scandinavian films, it portrays the rites-of-passage of its young protagonist in a daring, true-to-life manner.
The journey to self-discovery often includes exploration of one’s own body (seen in films such as Barnens ö and World Wide Woven Bodies), combined with a growing interest in body image and looks. Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson, who wrote and directed the film, made sure to include a scene in which the young Arnar (Flóki Haraldsson) inspects his naked body for any changes hinting at the entrance into manhood.
Flóki Haraldsson as Arnar in Ártún (2014)
He has never kissed a girl (although no self-respecting boy will ever admit that, especially in front of same-age peers), and his budding sexuality and natural curiosity make him join his boastful (though equally inexperienced friends) on a trip to Reykjavík, where the girls are said to be open-minded and wild.
The naturalness of the story makes it easy for the viewer to associate with Armar’s experiences and their own. As a small-town boy myself, I felt genuinely moved by the story, recalling two girls from the capital that spent their summer vacation in the house across the street – and how completely naïve and innocent I must have appeared to them back then.
Scene from the film
Aside from its storyline, Guðmundsson’s film impresses with a musical score comprised of energetic Icelandic rock songs, which charge its scenes. The music also serves as a time indicator, placing the film in recent days, unlike many other filmmakers who prefer to set their Coming-of-Age stories in the 60s or 80s.
Flóki Haraldsson (who I have previously seen in the beautifully shot and haunting short-film from 2012, Strýta) manages to portray the confusion and nervousness of his character in a stunning manner, and it doesn’t come as a surprise that filmmakers often rely on his facial expressions to move the story forward.
Devoid of pretence, the nostalgia infusing and fun Ártún is a pleasant short film that fans of the Coming-of-Age genre are guaranteed to appreciate.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2780806/combined
Artun (2014)
Summary
The Icelandic short film Ártún (2014) portrays the rites-of-passage of its young protagonist in a daring, true-to-life manner.
Four short stories about growing up in the twentieth century. About childhood, adolescence and Coming-of Age in an era when friendship was analogue, life was an open book and corporal punishment was a kid’s occupational hazard.
This came up as one of my recommendations on Amazon recently and, after reading the description, I couldn’t resist ordering it. Catherine Price-Wentworth was not listed as the author of any other publications and I half-expected this book, published just last year, to be an amateurish anthology from yet another wannabe writer.
I’m glad I took the risk. It did not disappoint. What Cathy Saw and other stories is a highly original, well-written collection of four whimsical, yet often intense, tales. They’re all different, with distinct narrative voices, set in eras from the 1940s to the 1990s. What draws them together is their evocative depiction of youth — its joys and tribulations and its arcane nature, often shielded from adults who should know better, but seem incapable of knowing.
I love good short stories. The best can pack the punch of a novel into a tenth of the length or less, like a literary espresso. This slim volume (just 90 pages) was just enough to keep me entertained on the train from Leeds to London, but I felt like I’d gorged on a banquet of narration by the time we’d arrived at King’s Cross.
In the title story, a middle-aged woman gently narrates her innocent first love for a boy at primary school, but this turns tables when it becomes an account of their encounter with a pompous, bullying and distinctly dodgy local shopkeeper. Set in 1970s Yorkshire, there are shades here of Billy Elliot and Debbie, Mrs. Wilkinson’s precocious daughter (yes, I know that was County Durham in the 1980s). This story is just as evocative of its place time: as one of Price-Wentworth’s critics observed, “You can almost smell the coal dust.”
Then comes the tale of 13-year-old Nat Turner, a talented aspiring rock musician, and his father Victor, a widower struggling to deal with his son’s emerging independent spirit. Victor thinks Nat’s talent is better suited to the church choir and his attempts to control the boy lead to a run-in between the two and no end of trouble unfolding for poor Nat, who is left with some painfully risky decisions. Told alternately from the perspective of father and son, this is an action-packed roller-coaster of emotion. Hilarious at times, moving at others, its conclusion may bring a tear to the eye but avoids the trap of sentimentality.
Matthew’s Mitzvah tells the story of a young Jewish boy evacuated to a Welsh Catholic boarding school during the second world war. Like the tale before, it focuses on the moral as well as practical dilemmas faced by two of the school’s students after an ill-considered prank goes horribly wrong. Amusingly, the same priest crops up as in the previous story, like a frocked Blackadder, to help resolve the practical and philosophical issues.
The closing short story is another first-person narrative, though this from a 16-year-old boy trying to repair the relationship with his estranged mother. During their meeting, he recalls his loving, liberal upbringing but then uncovers a memory from his infancy when tempers were lost and political correctness fell to pieces…
The characterization throughout is outstanding. I doubt any reader will fail to relate to the young people in the stories as they face the problems and traumas of growing up so familiar to us all. The grownups are well done too, particularly Victor Turner, whose behavior can verge on cruelty, but who still gains our sympathy and understanding.
According to the publisher’s website, Catherine Price-Wentworth (presumably an ad hoc pseudonym for this book) is better known for radio drama and romantic fiction aimed at women. I managed to contact her by email through the publishers to ask her about the background to this collection. She explained that, “I write short stories for my own amusement all the time. These are just four that I felt were worth putting out, but had little prospect of publication elsewhere.”
I see her point. The pieces here certainly push the boundaries of acceptable material for Mills and Boon or The People’s Friend. As the above cover note suggests, there are a few lurid descriptions of school bullying and corporal punishment, which will doubtless appeal to some, but upset others. (Though they may raise eyebrows in the context of modern fiction, they are nonetheless no stronger in essence than those to be found in the works of Roald Dahl or Charles Hamilton.) With some occasional strong language, mild drug references and depictions of under-age drinking and smoking, this is neither a book for prudish old women nor young children.
Though I suspect that anyone else, from teenage to retirement, who enjoys Coming-of-Age stories and appreciates good writing, will be as delighted by this anthology as I was.
I used to assume that everyone has seen Kes. It won BAFTAs for 14-year-old David Bradley (Most Promising Newcomer) and Colin Welland (Best Supporting Actor.) It’s listed in the British Film Institute’s Top 10 Greatest Films of the 20th Century. It maintains a 100% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The promotional poster of a disaffected teen raising two fingers to the world is surely one of the most iconic ever.
That was until some years ago, when I was teaching the media module of a further education course on Modern Cultural Studies. Naturally, Kes came up as part of the syllabus and I was shocked to learn that most of my 16 to 18 year-old students had never seen it; some had never heard of it.
David Bradley as Billy Casper
Since then, the film has had a bit of a revival with the release of an excellent digital re-master on DVD and Blu-ray. Then the death of author Barry Hines last year spawned some more nostalgic publicity.
But I’m making no more assumptions. So if you haven’t seen the film, then fire up Amazon right now and order a copy. Or get over to Netflix and watch it this instant. Just remember to do so in a new tab so you don’t forget to read the rest of this article.
Oh, I should mention one snag: even Brits from south of Nottingham may struggle with the Yorkshire dialogue. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not “dialect,” but the accents are broad. Non-native anglophones will certainly need subtitles.
Kes promotional poster: disaffected teen raising two fingers to the world
There’s little to add to the scores of reviews written about Kes since its release in 1969, so this will be a personal reflection. You see, I grew up less than 15 miles from where the film was made, around three decades later. I knew about the film from an early age: it was the stuff of local legend and I wish I had a pound for every middle-aged tyke I’ve met who’s claimed to have been an extra in it. I’ve also been a film buff since infancy, but this was not the sort of film I considered watching back then.
Official KES film poster
I was the kid who got my parents into trouble during my last year at primary school by writing a review of The Matrix as homework. (My embarrassed father had to explain to my concerned English teacher that he’d watched the 15-rated video with me and would have stopped it if he’d felt it seriously inappropriate!) When I was 10 my taste in film was science fiction, fantasy and horror. Especially horror. Period. Social realism? Why bother when you can look out of the window?
It was another English teacher who, about a year later, recommended Barry Hines’s novel A Kestrel for a Knave to me (I was a precocious reader.) At the time, I didn’t realise that it was the book on which our legendary local film had been faithfully based but, my taste in literature being broader than my taste in film, I gave it a go.
I recall my avid reading in two sittings over that weekend. I was enthralled. Of course the local angle and my own love of wildlife helped, but what hooked me was the characterization of Billy Casper, the downtrodden 15-year-old protagonist whose life is transformed when he plucks a fledgling kestrel from its nest, nurtures and then trains it to fly trustingly back to him.
Scene from Kes
That’s what prompted me to hire the film on VHS from our local video shop. (I’m beginning to feel my age now…) It didn’t quite change my life, but it opened a whole new dimension of cinema to me. I’d found it hard to imagine a film more powerful than The Matrix, but this was in a different league.
It was the pedestrian realism that drew you in, as though you were watching a piece of vintage documentary. Of course, you knew you weren’t, but for the purposes of entertainment, that was irrelevant.
David Bradley
Yet was it entertainment? The insight into the characters was breathtaking; the acting was – well, I could hardly believe that they were acting; but my abiding memory is having to pause the video in the last ten minutes, take a deep breath, go and get a Coke from the fridge and remind myself that it was just a film. Even though I’d read the book and knew what was going to happen, seeing it brought to life so starkly was all too much. Traumatic isn’t too strong a word.
The Matrix has long since dropped out of my top 10 favorite movies, but Kes (alongside Withnail & I and The Fire That Burns, both of which I discovered shortly afterwards) hovers consistently among my top three. (My parents advised me that neither of the others would be a wise choice for future school review projects!)
Scene from Kes
It’s hard to define what made Kes so striking and realistic. No doubt it was a labor of love for Barry Hines, who wrote the novel and screenplay. His younger brother Richard, though no knave himself, had “adopted” and trained a falcon (named “Kessy”) when they were children. Barry grew up to teach at a secondary modern school in Barnsley, on which he based the school in the story. There he balked at the harsh discipline and poor standard of education on offer to pupils who had failed the 11+ examination. A Kestrel for a Knave is a novel with a heartfelt social message: one which Hines managed to convey through his skill as a natural storyteller rather than through preachy political rhetoric.
Director Ken Loach is also a man guided by social principle. An avowed socialist and campaigner for justice and equal opportunity, he, like Hines, uses creative skills to convey his message to great effect. Barry Hines’s screenplay was in capable hands here.
Kes – Original trailer
But when it comes to films, writers and directors can only be as good as their performers, and it’s the cast who were charged with bringing Kes to life. Loach and Hines decided to go for authenticity over polish and finesse. They wanted Yorkshire folk who could act, rather than actors who could play Yorkshire folk. And, by golly, they found them!
It’s not quite true, as is sometimes claimed, that the cast was comprised of unknowns. Colin Welland, who played Billy’s only sympathetic teacher, Mr Farthing, was a regular actor in the popular BBC TV cop drama series Z Cars. (He also went on to win an Oscar in 1982 for his screenplay, Chariots of Fire, but I digress…) Lynn Perrie, who (so wonderfully!) played Billy’s mother, was an established cabaret singer who had a number of television credits to her name. Stand-up comedian Bill Dean made a cameo as the chip shop proprietor. And Brian Glover, who made his acting début as the puerile bully of a PE teacher, was already well-known as a professional wrestler.
The cast were, nevertheless, selected for their life-experience and raw ability rather than reputation. David Bradley really was a working-class Barnsley lad who’d failed the 11+. Having made a minor name for himself locally through school dramatic productions, he auditioned for the role of Billy Casper hoping to get into acting as an alternative to becoming a miner. Bob Bowes, the irascible headmaster Mr Gryce, was a secondary school principal in real life (though reputedly a kind and popular one.) And Colin Welland had been a schoolteacher before becoming a professional actor.
Poster
No one knows the recipe for a truly moving film. The best laid plans for great cinema have turned out tacky, and the most unlikely ideas, like this one, have produced timeless gems. Kes is in many ways a brutal film, both in narration and production. David Bradley really was delivered a cruel blow to the head in the changing room; the kids really were shivering on a muddy field during the football match; the boys really were caned in the infamous headmaster’s study scene. And [spoiler alert] young David’s anger and distress in the closing scenes was genuine: he’d been told that the dead kestrel was one of the two with which he’d bonded during the production and had been killed for the purpose. It wasn’t, of course – they used a hawk that had died from natural causes, and Bradley has said in interviews since that he didn’t really believe what he’d been told. Watching the scene again now, though, I don’t believe that he was entirely sure.
Yet Kes also oozes humanity and compassion. Its social message is manifest without being in yer face. The story is enchanting. The acting is first-rate. It is, quite simply, a cinematic masterpiece.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064541/combined
Kes (1969)
Summary
An enchanting story with first-rate acting that is, quite simply, a cinematic masterpiece.
While fantasy and imagination inspire many stories, when it comes to the Coming-of-Age genre it’s often real life events that result in the most poignant films. It is not rare that the viewer senses the personal connection and importance of the characters and happenings to the filmmakers and, when the storytelling is good, those characters and happenings achieve similar feelings in those to whom the story is being told.
That’s probably why Eduard Zholnin‘s 2005 short film Trusha, about a childhood friend of the author (Eduard Zholnin wrote and directed the film), feels so authentic. It’s a moving portrayal of the fight for dignity of ten-year-old Vanya Trukhina (Daniel Schifrin), growing up in a Russian orphanage. Reflecting on past events, the filmmaker opted to choose a child narrator, which further boosts the story’s impact on the viewer.
“Everyone called him Trushin – the loony, the thief, the freak …but for me he was just Trusha”
Vanya Trukhina (Daniel Schifrin)
The identity of the narrator doesn’t become clear until the final scenes when he becomes known to the viewer. Some of the issues that the story focuses on besides a fight for dignity and friendship are loneliness and helplessness, which serve as a reminder that real-life stories do not always end up with a “happily ever after”. Despite that approach, the filmmakers made sure not to completely leave magic out of the narrative. Beautiful camerawork, editing and a great musical score gives an almost poetic feel to many of the film’s scenes — creating a magical realism out of everyday situations and subjects – such as an apple tree or falling rain.
Only the ending could possibly disappoint some viewers, especially those looking for an added layer of a more dramatic finale (myself among them). But all-in-all Trusha is a wonderful short film well deserving of being discovered and appreciated.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6051038/combined
Trusha (2015)
Summary
Beautiful camerawork, editing and a great musical score create a magical realism out of everyday situations and subjects, making Trusha a wonderful short film well deserving of being discovered and appreciated.
In David Trueba‘s 1996 movie The Good Life, 14-year-old Tristan (Fernando Ramallo) is forced to fend for himself and his grandfather after his parents die tragically in a traffic accident. Often listed as a comedy due to the comical scenes juxtaposing reality and Tristan’s dream world, the film impresses with its first person narration that allows the viewer to grasp the intriguing, yet confusing, inner world of the young protagonist.
Although the story acquires a melancholic nuance as it develops, it never falls into clichés and it is that unorthodoxness that makes it likely to add to the delight of the viewer. Some scenes, thoughts or actions of the young hero may shock people with puritanical minds (thanks to the overall almodóvarian characterization of personages). And, while few people would be able to directly relate to his experiences, their nature per se is universal for the Coming-of-Age period of everyone’s life and no one makes the wisest choices all the time.
Fernando Ramallo as Tristan in The Good Life
Undoubtedly, the fate of the young Tristan is an unfortunate one. Yet, he never gives up, or falls into depression, or loses determination to become a man – a man of whom his parents would have been proud.
The Good Life is not an exceptional film per se, but the combination of drama, comedy and strong Coming-of-Age nuances makes it a pleasant film that I don’t hesitate recommending.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115772/
The Good Life (1996)
SUMMARY
A film with a combination of drama, comedy and strong Coming-of-Age nuances that makes it a pleasant film to view.
It’s been 15 years since the release of TDLOAB (as it was fondly referred to at the time) and the movie is still a joy to watch.
The story is about what fourteen-year-olds do when they rebel against authority and religion.
Set at St. Agatha’s Catholic School somewhere in America during the 1970s, a group of adolescent students create an obscene comic book entitled ‘The Atomic Trinity’ as an antidote against the strict order of the parish.
The adventurous teenagers also love to play pranks. No surprise here. They do it for effect, and most of the time they get away with it. Until they don’t.
As you watch the progression of events in TDLOAB, three parallel themes unfold.
First, there is the group of fourteen-year-old boys lead by Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin). Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) represents the authority figure that provokes these boys into action. She claims to have their best interests at heart, but lacks insight into the world of adolescent boys.
Father Casey (Vincent D’Onofrio) is just a priest. Scarcely aware of his surroundings, his innocuous character reminds us that it is the norm of society to live predictable lives. Teenagers, on the other hand, play in uncharted territory with unfamiliar toys and untested methods. They tend to live dangerous lives.
The second theme is a love story. It develops around a budding relationship between Francis Doyle and Margie Flynn (Jena Malone). Francis is a romantic artist with a regular family, but Margie has a dark secret soon shared between the boys. It comes as such a shock that the teenagers don’t know what to do with this information.
The third theme is a symbolic representation of the first two themes. An imaginary world of comic book characters, representing good and evil, is animated on the screen with dramatic effect, as events seamlessly transition between reality and Francis Doyle’s artistic imagination.
TDLOAB is a character-driven story delivered by an exceptionally talented cast. Although the story is mostly seen from Francis Doyle’s point of view, the spotlight is on the overall action and no character in particular.
Director Peter Care puts his experience with music videos to good use by keeping scenes short and interesting. This is, after all, a film about teenagers who are not known for their patience.
The Atomic Trinity music performed by Josh Homme perfectly complements the animation sequences produced by Todd McFarlane (creator of Spawn). Except for three songs, the entire score is original music composed by Marco Beltrami (The Wolverine).
Overall, The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys is a good piece. The animation stands out as the real achievement of this entertaining film that engages to the very end.
Viewing discretion is advised since the subject material includes reckless adolescent behavior and mature content.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238924/
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)
SUMMARY
A character driven story delivered by an exceptionally talented cast.
The art work for the 2016 British sci-fi drama, The White King, and its narrative focusing on a 12-year-old struggling to come of age under a brutal dictatorship (think an extreme form of Totalitarianism) are enough to pique anyone’s interest and raise expectations of a thrilling Coming-of-Age drama. Sadly, the film never achieves its potential and hardly succeeds in anything. In fact, it’s vague, ideological propaganda not much better than the one it tries to portray.
The White King is based on a novel by György Dragomán and, while I haven’t read it, I’m positive that the unconvincing storytelling in the film is caused by an incompetent adaptation. If that is the case, I hope that whoever works on the adaptation of The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix will do a much better job.
Usually, when reviewing a movie, I focus on its positive aspects to convince people as to why they should invest their time in watching it. With The White Kid, except for some good scenes saved by the close-up shots of Djata’s eyes (the main protagonist) and the overall capable acting of the actor who portrays him, Lorenzo Allchurch, there is little to mention on the positive side. However, when describing why the film doesn’t work, the list of reasons is rather large.
Lorenzo Allchurch stars as Djata and his grandfather and regime colonel (Jonathan Pryce)
Starting with its restricted, limited and a bit forced sets – like in a bad theatrical play one is constantly aware that the filmmakers are trying hard to portray a dystopian world, much like the one of George Orwell’s 1984. Maybe it was budget limitations that restricted the choice of locations, but even that can’t excuse the forced exposition. Yet we do understand the restrictive nature of the world in which the 12-year-old Djata is to grow up, but not much else.
Close-up on Djata’s eyes
Another issue with the film is the clear lack of focus in both narration and characterization. Based upon the film’s advertising poster, one keeps hoping that the story will turn into a dynamic exploration of the way a totalitarian regime affects its young protagonist and his struggle against it, but that never happens. As a result, one never really cares truthfully for the hero’s fate – an empathy achieved in the similarly themed Macedonian production by Ivo Trajkov, Golemata Voda.
Unfortunately, the ending is every bit as weak as the rest of the film. With all of the above being considered, I can’t recommend this film. If anti-totalitarian doctrine intrigues you, more original and authentic stories are to be found in movies from East European countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. Somehow Western directors miss the whole point, as was also the case with Paul Feig‘s 2003 film I Am David.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4211312/combined
The White King (2016)
CONCLUSION
The White King portrays the struggle of a 12-year-old to come of age under a brutal dictatorship.
Some films receive such overwhelming praise when released that reviewing them always puts the reviewer in danger of conforming to popular beliefs, losing a bit of the critical take in the process. Such is the case with the latest film from director J.A. Bayona, A Monster Calls.
It tells the story of a Conor (“…a boy, too old to be a kid, too young to be a man…”), who tries hard to deal with worries, confusion, and grief brought about as a result of his terminally ill mother (Felicity Jones). To cope with it all, Conor summons a monster (beautifully voiced by Liam Neeson) with the hope that it can use its supernatural power to heal Conor’s mother. Alas, the monster serves a different purpose.
Conor (Lewis MacDougall) and the monster
Unfortunately, despite the touching subject matter, the excellent performance of Lewis MacDougall as Conor and the beautiful cinematography and animations, the film fails to engage emotionally. One doesn’t have to decipher the symbolism of the narrative, as in the similarly themed 1998 film Paperhouse, and yet the constant awareness that one is watching a film does not allow for a complete immersion and identification with the young protagonist.
Scene from A Monster Calls
The best films are those that one watches, so immersed in the story, that the characters feel real, the settings familiar – cinema that makes life real, yet more poignant and acute so that one experiences the story rather than simply observing it. The story in A Monster Calls never loses its peculiar artificial feel.
For me, the reason I get that feeling is that the usage of CGI animation and monsters takes away from the portrayal of the young boy’s real grief and confusion. Yes, it’s beautiful to look at, but one looks at it as a movie audience. “Oh, this is so creative and beautiful!”
Does this mean that the film is bad? Not at all. While it takes a little time for the story to fully grab one’s attention, once it does the storytelling is impressive with its originality. The Coming-of-Age motifs are strong and, by the end of the film, it’s not just its protagonist who comes out older and wiser as result of his experiences, but the viewers themselves. Movie reviews are almost always subjective and my personal dislike of using abstract fantasies, when portraying real life issues such as grief, I’m sure has played a role in my verdict.
I have always preferred the straight-forward approach of films such as the 1995 The Cure, The Spanish Planta 4a and the masterpiece starring Robbie Kay, Ways to Live Forever. Yet those viewers who enjoy fantasy-based examinations of real-life issues are going to truly enjoy the film – and there are many such viewers as is evidenced by the abundance of positive reviews and classifications in various media.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416532/combined
A Monster Calls (2016)
CONCLUSION
A boy tries hard to deal with worries, confusion, and grief brought about as a result of his terminally ill mother.
Twelve-year-old Taliesin Jones (John-Paul Macleod) thinks so and he has some practical applications in mind. Ever since his mother (Geraldine James) left home in pursuit of “more color to her life”, he’s been waiting for a miracle.
His father Tom (Jonathan Pryce) has become distant and his older brother Jonathan (Matthew Rhys) bitter and angry. But Taliesin has a gift; an ability to see beauty in all aspects of life. Looking for answers to the thousands of questions in his mind, he delves into the world of books.
The Bible tells Taliesin that God is in the business of performing miracles, but first he needs to know if God exists. He starts asking around. Disappointed that no one seems to know for sure, he concentrates his efforts on finding out for himself.
Taliesin and his mentor Billy Evans
When Taliesin discovers that his piano teacher Billy Evans (Ian Bannen) is a faith healer, he decides to try it for himself. Approaching God directly, he makes a deal. If God removes the warts from his hands, he would tell everyone about it in return.
The next morning the warts are gone. This little miracle leaves no doubt in Taliesin’s mind that God indeed exists and he goes public in an evangelical effort to spread the message.
But then an event that shakes the very foundations of his beliefs, sends Taliesin on a quest for understanding of the nature of God. On his journey looking for answers, he finds his insight is a world from which there is no return.
Clip from the movie
Small Miracles, directed Martin Duffy, is an adaptation of the novel The Testimony of Taliesin Jones by Rhidian Brook. The movie weaves its way through an ethereal world of wonders created by the imagination of a 12-year-old, and the realities of a life that’s less than perfect.
Taliesin Jones is a complex character, contrasted by the simplicity of almost everyone else in the Welch village where he lives. He has an idealistic approach to problem-solving, shows determination to achieve his objectives and a tenacity to overcome obstacles in his way.
A rare visit
Taliesin Jones tells his own story, which adds to the appeal of the narrative. Supported by an experienced cast, first-time actor John-Paul Macleod has all the backing that he needs to fill the shoes of Taliesin Jones and he does it very well.
There are some inconsistencies in the overall quality of the film which distract. Rose-tinted flashback sequences depicting happier times border on overt sentimentality, and perhaps some of the acting required more attention.
The cinematography supports the story by not diverting attention to unnecessary detail and the music is gentle and serene.
Compared to a movie like I Am… Gabriel (2012), where the protagonist is depicted as a messenger of an existing God (theistic approach), Small Miracles is a philosophical inquiry into the concept of a God (existentialist approach).
Hopefully there is a little Taliesin Jones in all of us.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210357/combined
Small Miracles (2000)
CONCLUSION
Small Miracles is a thought-provoking portrayal of a child's exploration into the divine
When I was growing up, America was this dreamland that everyone talked of in awe. The movies had convinced people in other countries that all the girls are beautiful there, all the people rich, all the cars fast … an idealization that we all bought as intended.
Years later I found myself attending high school in America, and realized that Americans, just like the people of any other country, have their own battles to fight and that not everyone fit the stereotypical image that Hollywood projects. There were stupid people, but also smart ones, beautiful and not very appealing, rich and poor, fat and thin, black and white…
Yet many people still hold this ideal of perfection and, for those people, the 2014 documentary film Rich Hill, directed by Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos, can be a real eye opener.
I found out about it from Jones, a visitor to theskykid website, who pitched it as: “A slow rolling doc about 3 boys growing up poor in rural America. Unfiltered and tough to watch at times, it blazingly shows the hard knocks of modern life…”.
The protagonists of the documentary are not just the boys, but also their families. And, whereas many of the scenes have a rather depressing feel to them, one can clearly distinguish the struggle for dignity and survival. Of course the viewer can recognize a lot of their failures too, as it’s often easier to judge others than to take a deeper look at what has happened and what can be done to improve the situation.
Rich Hills Official Trailer
Jonas (apparently an American citizen himself) as he was telling me about the film, went on to say, “We are not a monolithic people and this peek into another reality is important to see and share in order to more fully understand the fabric of American life.”
Rich Hill (sarcasm in the title indeed) achieves its goal, but unfortunately also shows that the real victims of social and family unrest are the most innocent ones- the kids.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) is a touching Coming-of-Age adventure/comedy that follows the development of a friendship between a grumpy old man and a naive ten-year-old boy. When they disappear into the wild New Zealand bush, a national man-hunt is launched to find them.
The following story is definitely not true.
It starts when Paula Hall (Rachel House), from child welfare services, places Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) into the care of Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hector Faulkner (Sam Neill).
But Ricky comes with a warning. As per Paula Hall, “We’re talking disobedience, running away, throwing rocks, kicking stuff, burning stuff, loitering and graffiti.”
The Faulkners should also come with a warning. Living in a dilapidated cottage somewhere in rural New Zealand, they fend for themselves. Although kind-hearted and enthusiastic by nature, Bella’s a bit weird, especially when it comes to hunting and the preparation of food.
Hector Faulkner is plain scary. Very suspicious of the newcomer to the family, he makes his position clear, “I just want to be left alone… and don’t call me Uncle”.
After a couple of days, Ricky finds the couple a bit too eccentric for his tastes and he runs away, but he doesn’t get far. Bella finds him about 200 meters from the cottage and coaxes him back with the promise of breakfast. Considering Ricky’s appearance, he’s going to need more than the usual amount of food.
Serious negotiations between the three result in a peace treaty and things start to look up.
Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is not sure what is going to happen next.
When Bella dies unexpectedly, Paula Hall from child welfare wants Ricky back. This time he runs away for real, but his foray into the forest is futile. Hector finds him wandering around, lost and hungry.
Due to an injury, they get stuck in the bush for a couple of weeks and a search party is launched to try to find them.
Paula Hall appears on a TV breakfast show and stuns the audience with the announcement that Ricky is just a spanner in the works, a tool she plans to put back in the toolbox where he belongs. With her motto of “no child left behind” she launches a national man-hunt that eventually turns into a full-scale military operation.
Meanwhile Ricky and Hector associate themselves with the Wildebeest of Africa and become the “Wilderpeople” and realize they must fend for themselves. Each has his own reasons for not wanting to be found, so they run.
(Sam Neill) makes himself perfectly clear, “Don’t call me Uncle!”
Having firmly established the plot, the movie now really enters the realm of improbability — a suspension of disbelief may be required. Many encounters with weird and wonderful creatures follow, man and beast alike.
Ricky and Hector must find strength in unity and they are not planning to go down without a fight. From here on in the film, the sheer entertainment value of the movie carries the narrative to a gentle and satisfactory conclusion.
Director Taika Waititi did an excellent job by successfully combining an underlying theme of camaraderie with a frivolous tale.
Official Trailer
http://youtu.be/Z-qK1wLMicM
Good cinematography highlights the beauty of New Zealand and quirky editing supports the playful aspects of the film.
A special mention for actor Julian Dennison (who previously appeared in movies like Paper Planes) who really shines in the role of Ricky Baker.
Though I’m generally more inclined towards realistic Coming-of-Age dramas, I really enjoyed this film.
But, while Hunt for the Wilderpeople has a refreshing flare to it, in my opinion Son of Rambow is a better choice if you’re looking for a good action-comedy-drama.
Summer is fast approaching and few things are as refreshing as a little short film with an adorable Coming-of-Age story. Luckily director Jeroen Houben offers just the right one with his 2015 Gips(Plaster – International English title) .
Ártún (2014) is the fourth Coming-of-Age film from 
I used to assume that everyone has seen Kes. It won BAFTAs for 14-year-old David Bradley (Most Promising Newcomer) and Colin Welland (Best Supporting Actor.) It’s listed in the British Film Institute’s Top 10 Greatest Films of the 20th Century. It maintains a 100% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The promotional poster of a disaffected teen raising two fingers to the world is surely one of the most iconic ever.
The cast were, nevertheless, selected for their life-experience and raw ability rather than reputation. David Bradley really was a working-class Barnsley lad who’d failed the 11+. Having made a minor name for himself locally through school dramatic productions, he auditioned for the role of Billy Casper hoping to get into acting as an alternative to becoming a miner. Bob Bowes, the irascible headmaster Mr Gryce, was a secondary school principal in real life (though reputedly a kind and popular one.) And Colin Welland had been a schoolteacher before becoming a professional actor.
In David Trueba‘s 1996 movie The Good Life, 14-year-old Tristan (Fernando Ramallo) is forced to fend for himself and his grandfather after his parents die tragically in a traffic accident. Often listed as a comedy due to the comical scenes juxtaposing reality and Tristan’s dream world, the film impresses with its first person narration that allows the viewer to grasp the intriguing, yet confusing, inner world of the young protagonist.
“Forgive me Father, for I am fourteen”
The art work for the 2016 British sci-fi drama, The White King, and its narrative focusing on a 12-year-old struggling to come of age under a brutal dictatorship (think an extreme form of Totalitarianism) are enough to pique anyone’s interest and raise expectations of a thrilling Coming-of-Age drama. Sadly, the film never achieves its potential and hardly succeeds in anything. In fact, it’s vague, ideological propaganda not much better than the one it tries to portray.
Some films receive such overwhelming praise when released that reviewing them always puts the reviewer in danger of conforming to popular beliefs, losing a bit of the critical take in the process. Such is the case with the latest film from director J.A. Bayona, A Monster Calls.
“Miracles do happen. Don’t they?”
When I was growing up, America was this dreamland that everyone talked of in awe. The movies had convinced people in other countries that all the girls are beautiful there, all the people rich, all the cars fast … an idealization that we all bought as intended.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) is a touching Coming-of-Age adventure/comedy that follows the development of a friendship between a grumpy old man and a naive ten-year-old boy. When they disappear into the wild New Zealand bush, a national man-hunt is launched to find them.
