Introducing The Fandinos

You got to like these brothers! They have something special! I have a younger brother, but what is it like to have one your own age? One who plays soccer with you and makes music with you? That’s special.

The Fandino twins, Jacob and Nolan, have just released a new video cover of Perfect (One Direction) and it’s a pretty good version in which we hear Nolan, the blond drummer, sing separately for the first time!

Surprise! Nolan’s deeper voice more resembles Lee Marvin than Donny Osmond, which I wasn’t expecting. To me, that opens up very original possibilities. A twin brother act that not only doesn’t LOOK alike, but also doesn’t SOUND alike! That is something Ellen should have a closer look at. (To follow that up: my first advice on Twitter to the Fandinos, back a few months, was to gain more playing experience before campaigning to get on The Ellen Degeneres Show).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li-htXSCYAk

But then, living in Elon, N.C., it shouldn’t be a big leap to get to Ellen, CA! The Fandinos were born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and both learned to play piano. I’m certain Mom and Dad have much to do with their musical prowess.

When you open the videos of this brother act you are witnessing some of the evolution of two young musicians. (They also play soccer and that’s big in my book!)

Jacob prefers his e-guitar, Nolan the drums (but he now has basic guitar skills as well). I was quite impressed that both Fandinos play excellent piano!

This pair reminds me a bit of the early Sharp Brothers (Sharp Turn Ahead) who are also twins. But Nolan’s deeper voice opens up very original possibilities for harmonies and contrasting vocals which are rare in the musical world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iGaiAzMsVY

The Fandinos have just started releasing more polished videos of their covers, but there are many “live show” performances. Commendable, these boys play their own music — it’s not pumped in, as is often the case with young cover artists. Playing benefit concerts, small outdoor stages, street playing or doing gigs at The Eddy Pub or The Fat Frogg all build up confidence and add to experience. These boys sound big, playing modern pop songs or Rock songs like Hello (Sugar Bomb).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKmOfIRMe_4

Their latest video cover of One Direction called Perfect is in black and white, which is disappointing. They are a colorful pair and should be presented that way. The music is good, especially the opening guitar tones — rich and deep. The video has some rather cliché cuts, but it’s OK. Music videos have developed at such a fast pace, bombarding us with images, that we have to shift down to appreciate these efforts. A professional video producer (like for eg. Vichy Ratey) would spice up the visuals. But maybe that’s for the future.

Yet the obvious kick and challenge of performing together is visible. That’s what counts at age 12 after all (that’s what counts at any age, actually!)

The Fandinos are an interesting brother team. I do wish them future success and much loud applause and we will be anticipating new songs from them.

The Fandinos Official Website

Facebook Fanpage

To See The Sea (2014 )

If you have ever wanted to experience the world through the eyes of an aspiring 11-year-old filmmaker, the Czech movie To See the Sea (original title: Pojedeme k moři) offers an opportunity to do just that.

Filmed and narrated by its young protagonist Tomas (Petr Simcák – who is on screen in just about every scene), the movie is a pseudo-documentary that follows the adventures of Tommy and his classmate and best friend Haris (Jan Marsál). A filmmaker should make a movie about something that he knows and that is why Tomas decides to shoot a film about his family. Accidently, the footage that Tomas takes reveals that his father keeps a carefully hidden secret. Suspecting foul play (perhaps cheating), Tomas decides to launch a full scale investigation utilizing his skills behind the camera to gather evidence.

Petr Simcák as Tomas and Jan Marsál as Haris in To See the Sea

The film’s director, Jirí Mádl (who also wrote the story), made sure that the film has livestream aesthetics by embracing the recent Periscope and YouTube culture. His film, while shot perfectly well with little to no camera imperfections, aims to give an impression of being not only shot, but narrated and edited by its young protagonist. This reminds one of the found-footage technique (where the events on screen are typically seen through the camera of one or more of the characters involved, often accompanied by their real-time off-camera commentary). An example is M. Night Shyamalan‘s 2015 horror flick The Visit. Yet, the story is told in an original way – making sure that clichés are virtually nonexistent.

Mádl’s biggest achievement is the fact that his film captures both the impulsive playfulness of childhood and the seriousness of life. The film is easy going and entertaining, yet manages to emit a surprising amount of significance, as the investigations of Tomas and Harris send them to a surprising voyage of self-discovery and life realizations.

The talking to the camera technique brings a sense of intimacy with the characters that I really appreciate. Admittedly, not being part of the livestreaming culture myself, I could not identify fully with the protagonists (even if we share some common experiences). Yet, thanks to the charming appearance and charisma of the young actors in the lead roles, I enjoyed the story – both in its funny and serious aspects. There are plenty of humorous scenes to keep the younger audience entertained and, while the comedy does not reach the class of Son of Rambow or Mickybo and Me (used for comparison on the basis of the presence of a close comradeship between two young boys and the fact that all are essentially a stories of growing up), it’s unlikely that anyone will be bored by the time the final credits roll.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3041932/combined
The film’s DVD as sold on Ebay includes English Subtitles

Good Machine Gun Sound (2014)

In general, children are not familiar with the concept of mortality. And that’s the way it should be. Death in their games (on the playground or the computer) usually only results in an annoying timeout — after which one is back in the game.

Yet, in just about every kid’s life, there comes a time when an encounter with a crueller, darker and permanent event becomes inevitable. And, even then, childhood innocence crosses swords with grim reality — which has as its ally the sad face of grown-up, understanding adults.

Good Machine Gun Sound is a 2014 short film that explores the peculiar encounter of naivety, innocence and reality in the life of an eight-year-old Norwegian boy named Arvid (Erlend Antonsen Meløy), whose family is stuck by tragedy. The movie is part of a series of thematically connected Coming-of-Age films by the Norwegian filmmaker Truls Krane Meby (including the movie World Wide Woven Bodies, which we have previously reviewed).

Meby’s storytelling approach is quite distinctive. Into what appears at first to just be a casual observation of the day-to-day life of the young protagonist and his environment, Meby injects the less joyous side of life, encouraging the viewer to dig into his memories about the first time he encountered death. For example, when I was about 6-years-old, my grandmother died. As I watched this film, I saw myself carrying the cross of my late grandmother and being held in my mother’s arms while she tried to explain, in a way I’d understand, what had happened.

Meby skillfully juxtaposes innocence and guilt, confusion and awe and life and death (metaphorically – as long as we are willing to grant that childhood is equal to life), focusing the viewer’s mind on the subject of mortality in a natural manner. The story feels authentic and real – a slice of real-life – thanks to a capable youthful cast and this director’s talent for working so well with it, especially with the young actor in the lead role.

As with World Wide Woven Bodies (whose theme is sexuality instead of mortality) the camerawork manages to project a sense of intimacy that, as a result, turns the film into a memorable cinematic experience.

I don’t hesitate to recommend the film to anyone looking for a unique take on childhood and grief. If you want to explore the subject matter further, you can visit our section devoted to Coming-of-Age focusing on grief and mortality.

The movie on : IMDb, Facebook

O.T.E. (2013)

A few days ago, I stumbled upon Of The Earth (O.T.E), an intriguing short film written and directed by Jacob Motz. In it, Mikey (Tyler Rossell), a boy of just seven years of age, finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world in which all adults have been killed in a pandemic. Yet, wrapped in the protective shield of innocence, Mikey manages to preserve a sense of normality (unlike the viewer who has already been through the Coming-of-Age tribulations).

One day Will (Liam Walker), a self-assured teen, drops by Mikey’s remote family home. He tries to convince the younger boy that he needs to leave the safety of his home (the only place Mikey knows) and come along with him. But can he be trusted….???

Although I was genuinely impressed when I first saw the film, I missed its message and its final significance with the camerawork, cinematography, and the young cast’s performance. That’s why I asked the people who follow theskykid.com on Facebook about their opinions. One person suggested that the boys could have been ghosts who do not know they are dead.

http://vimeo.com/88458655

Tyler Rossell as Mikey in Of The Earth (O.T.E) — Tyler Rossell as Mikey in Of The Earth (O.T.E.)

Another compared the plot to that of the New Zealand TV series The Tribe (April 1999-Sept 2003). Stating that the storyline in that film also starts with a pandemic that kills the adults, some of the children are trained in survival by the adults in military camps who see that the end is near. Yet other darker interpretations were offered. I, for one, enjoy dark tales, and as I read some of those scenarios, I began to form a theory that the film could be a prequel to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies — that kind of universe.

Scene from Of The Earth (O.T.E) — Scene from Of The Earth (O.T.E.)

The story in Of The Earth (O.T.E.), although unclear, invites the audience to think — to offer their own interpretations. And that’s where its beauty lies. Then, while still pondering the story’s meaning, as I was preparing this write-up, I came across the Crowdsourcing page on Kickstarter. On there, I read where director Motz writes about his film:

“There is a reason post-apocalyptic worlds are booming in the landscape of cinema. Whether a sublimation of fear of our dulled and detached modern civilization or a wish to reboot humanity, I believe that deep down, we yearn for a simpler life. Of The Earth isn’t just the how or why of the destructive reset button, but the framework of seeing children still in a state of development react to this sudden change.”

Without a doubt, the thought-provoking Coming-of-Age short film Of The Earth (O.T.E) is well worth your time.

http://vimeo.com/88458655

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4307728/combined

If you have seen it and want to add your take, please feel free to do so here or on the Facebook post where we began discussing it.

Introducing Marko Bosnjak

TheSkyKid.com has always striven to feature and support young talent across the globe. But we are not able to discover all such talent ourselves, which is why we are thankful when one of you reaches out suggesting a performer or movie. And that’s the way we discovered 11-year-old Marko Bošnjak.

Marco, who comes from the city of Prozor-Rama in Bosnia and Herzegovina, took part in the 2015 edition of the television competition Pinkove Zvezdica (the Serbian equivalent of The Voice Kids). His emotionally charged performances awed the Jury who even shed some tears, being moved by the voice of the talented youngster.

youtu.be/Xs8-0YuBnwg

That emotion was also felt by the reader who suggested Marco for this article. He writes:

“The song is so powerful and beautiful beyond description. And it is sung by an eleven-year- old. Just listen and try not to cry, because there are almost no people who did not cry when they listened to this.”

Marco started singing at the age of four and, prior to auditioning for the talent competition, he had participated and won several music festivals. There is almost no information in English available about him at the time of the writing this article (01.2016), which is why we had to resort to an online translation (as with another Serbian singer Emanuel Zekich whose music we featured back in 2010) to gather some information about him.

Don't you remember - Cover by Marko Bošnjak

03:47

Njujork, Njujork

05:04

From various publications in the Serbian online media (in fact, quite a significant number), it becomes clear that Marco wishes to have a career similar to James Arthur and one day record a duet with Jessie James (his favorite singer). In an interview for the official site of the Pink television network, Marco states that he dreams of representing Serbia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

In addition to his native Serbian, Marco sings perfectly in English, as is evident from his covers of Motown‘s Who’s Loving You and the song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls — One Night Only.

Certainly my limited language skills in Serbian and mostly the fact that Serbian music was part of my childhood music memories, I am moved mostly by the songs which Marco sings in his mother tongue, like his performance of the popular Serbian song Kao moja mati (English: Like my Mother) with which I would like to conclude this introduction.

http://youtu.be/Zfa2dmx0IQA

Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987)

Who doesn’t like fairytales? Having grown up with Astrid Lindgren’s novels along with her characters Pippi Longstocking and Karlsson (On the Roof), I was curious to see if Mio in the Land of Faraway — an adaptation of her novel Mio, My Son — would awake in me a bout of childhood awe, wonder and a thirst for adventure.

Mio in the Land of Faraway has managed to wrap itself in a cult like aura thanks to the acting debut of Christian Bale (right before his big role in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun) and its theme song (composed by two former ABBA members).

The hero of the film is nine-year old Bosse (Nick Pickard), who struggles for the love and acceptance of his adoptive parents. Nowadays, viewers will undoubtedly draw parallels with the Harry Potter character. Bosse’s wish to find out the whereabouts of his real father comes to life when a fairy godmother helps him to get to the Land of Faraway. Bosse’s father is the king of that magical kingdom and from him Bosse finds out that his real name is actually Mio and that he is a prince whose arrival has been expected from every living creature in the land.

The young prince Mio’s happiness is short lived as he learns that a dark force threatens the Land of Faraway. Kato is a knight with a heart of stone and is so evil that he has abducted and enslaved many kids from Mio’s newfound Kingdom. Mio meets a friend – Jum Jum (Christian Bale) the son of the royal gardner — and together the young boys embark on a journey to kill the evil knight who lives beyond the enchanted forest in the countryside…

Admittedly, Mio in the Land of Faraway features a lot of common themes with other fantasy films aimed at children such as: The NeverEnding Story, The Chronicles of Narnia and even Harry Potter. As a result, one shouldn’t really expect many surprises as far as the plot development is concerned.

Mio ( Nick Pickard), Jum-Jum (Christian Bale) with other kids from The Land of Faraway

The best feature of the film is certainly the charismatic appearances of Nick Pickard and Christian Bale in the lead roles (on screen for almost every scene), even if most of their lines end up sounding somewhat silly and naïve. This results in some frustration for the viewer as, having seen other films with young characters in a fantasy (medieval alike) world such as Last Legion (starring Thomas Sangster) and Tomas and the Falcon King (2000), I’m sure that age is not necessarily linked to naïveté and “easy way out” solutions. But then again, one must keep in mind that the target audience of Mio in the Land of Faraway are young kids (10 and below) who may not mind the silliness in the dialogue. (example)

If one sees the film while still a kid, it’s story can be simply perceived as a splendid fairy tale with inspiring characters who are close to one’s own age. Yet a grown-up may find the simple story bursting with symbolism and metaphors — turning the Land of Faraway into a product of an imaginative young mind wishing for a better life and acceptance. (I even took it as a tragedy myself).

As far as the adventure factor goes, the narrative in Mio in the Land of Faraway is somewhat disappointing — especially when comparing it with more recent fantasy films such as the Danish 1977 movie Eye of The Eagle. That and the predictability of the plot made me check my watch several times while watching the film, which is never a good sign. Some production design errors, such as the glass windows on the King’s castle in the Land of Faraway, also bothered me once I noted them.

As a result, despite the cult like status among those who have watched the film as children, I can’t fully recommend it. Yet the film is likely to excite the very young viewer.

Trailer

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093543/combined

The Devil’s Playground (1976)

“Growing up can be a special kind of hell…”

Hearing the title of the Australian 1976 film The Devil’s Playground, one may wrongfully assume that Fred Schepisi’s directorial debut feature is a horror flick. Instead, the movie offers a somewhat controversial portrayal of life in a strict Catholic boarding school, where rules are set to be followed even if they often do not make much sense to the priests and institutions that establish them.

The controversial trait of The Devil’s Playground arises mainly from the fact that it daringly tries to address issues such as temptations and sexual frustration in both the young pupils and the “Broders” who run the institution. The film’s narrative has more similarities to Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society than with Aisling Walsh’s Song for a Raggy Boy — although it does not shy away from exploring taboo issues related to youthful sexuality and character development.

Tom Allen (Simon Burke) in The Devil’s Playground (1976)

Like most Coming-of-Age narratives, The Devil’s Playground has a young character at its core — 13-year-old Tom Allen (Simon Burke)–– a pupil at the school who tries to follow his vocation (towards becoming a brother himself), while dealing with various problems. These include such things as bed wetting, tardiness, and resisting (or at least trying to resist) the urges that the “brothers” refer to as unnatural. The brothers themselves are well aware of the changes that occur to the bodies and minds of their youthful pupils, yet they have to find a balance between acknowledgement and acceptance on one side and rules and discipline on the other.

As a former boarding school student myself, I enjoyed the portrayal of comradeship and the trials and tribulations associated with living on the school grounds. The director did not opt for cheap thrills or surprising plot twists, yet the philosophical conflicts of and between the characters result in a sense of tension (of distinct kinds), which more than compensates for the former.

Cinematographically, there is little to complain about, as most scenes smartly use shadows and shades. I enjoyed the use of lights, especially in the scenes chosen for the artwork of the film’s poster.

Even though the film was released more than 50 years ago, it addresses universal issues that are as valid today as they were back then. The film features some scenes with nudity, yet nothing exploitative and nothing very controversial on its own. The characters are well developed and portrayed by the director and cast, yet, for some reason, I was not able to associate with any particular one, remaining an outside observer of their experiences, which is not the ideal outcome of a Coming-of-Age film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074404/combined

Gente de bien (2014)

Gente de bien (English: Well To Do People) is a 2014 Coming-of-Age drama focusing on social inequalities. It’s directed by Franco Lolli. While the action takes place in Colombia, the story is universal and could have happened anywhere in the world (as confirmed by my own experience).

Unlike other social dramas, Gente de bien does not intend to pass judgement by portraying the well-off people negatively or vice versa. The filmmakers have decided to show life as it is -thus opting for accuracy instead of pre-set tear-jerking scenes. The central character of the film is 10-year-old Eric (Brayan Santamarià), who gets sent to live with his hard-working dad Gabriel (Carlos Fernando Pérez). The short-term handyman projects Gabriel undertakes barely provide enough money for the rent. Yet, as a loving parent, he tries his best to make Eric feel welcomed and happy.

Gabriel (Carlos Fernando Pérez ) with his son Eric (Brayan Santamarià)

Gabriel’s latest client, a well-to-do university educator by the name of Maria Isabel (Alejandra Borrero), takes to heart the father’s problems and invites him and Eric to spend the summer vacation with her and her kids at her family’s luxurious country villa. Gabriel is reluctant to accept. But, facing eviction from the flat he rents in a boring house, and being offered a job placement in the villa while the vacation lasts, he goes along with the suggestion of his employer.

Unfortunately the ever present conflict between pride and prejudice plays its role as the different social atmosphere makes Gabriel begin to feel inadequate. Meanwhile, Eric is still too young to note his father’s feelings, but faces his own challenges in the universal struggle for acceptance and self-assurance.

As the son of hard-working parents living as immigrants in a foreign country, I was able to associate with Eric’s struggles (despite our difference in age), which speaks volumes about the accuracy of the narrative and the effectiveness in how it is related in the film. How well I identified with Eric’s character in the film is also a testament to young Brayan Santamariathe’s natural talent in front of the camera..

The film’s drama and conflicts are the total opposite of those portrayed in Gennaro Nunziante‘s 2013 movie Sole a catinelle (Sun in Buckets). Although both films feature a “working-class” father and son who find themselves in an upper social class, the latter aims to entertain the viewer with funny scenes showing how crazy life can be, while Gente de bien harshly portrays the class distinction present despite the good intentions and the lost innocence of young boy — a victim of that same inequality.

I felt slightly disturbed by the fact that the actors cast in the roles of the well-to-do characters are, on average, somewhat more charismatic (both kids and adults). But then as takes on visual appearances can be subjective for each individual viewer, this is not a factor that strongly affected my general positive impression of the accuracy and realism of the story being told.

Some viewers may dislike the slow dramatic buildup of the story, but it is necessary to grasp the complexity behind the misleadingly simple happenings. The difference in social standing is portrayed in an effective manner, second only to that of Ursula Meier in her 2012 film L’enfant d’en haut (Sister), which offers surprising twists in addition to an emotionally charged and complex narrative.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3751300/combined

Interview with the film’s director available at directorsnotes.com

The Brave One (1956)

The Brave One (1956) tells the story of Leonardo (Michel Ray) – a young Mexican boy who raises a fighting bull from calf-hood. Essentially it’s the classic human-animal relationships story that we have seen in so many movies with Coming-of-Age narratives such as Old Yeller, Duma, Free Willy and Kauwboy, to mention but a few, redefining the concepts of love and comradeship with the unique twist of having a bull for a pet.

According to the promotional narrative in the trailer: “…again and again and again your blood will raise, your heart stand still as you share the hopes and dreams and fears of every boy who ever had a pet …”. And, while the second part of that statement is valid for modern-day viewers of any age, the film’s lengthy run time is likely to cause boredom (instead of causing a rise in the blood).

What I found most exciting were the bullfighting scenes, which provided the sense of suspense that is somewhat lacking in other places of the film’s story development. Only this time I found myself cheering for the bull instead of the matador (the bullfighter).

The Brave One was shot on location in Mexico, so the settings are both authentic and beautiful. Together with the orchestral soundtrack, they more than provide for the production values of the movie. The likable and charming appearance of young Michel Ray is another plus, even if at times his acting seems somewhat exaggerated.

Young children are likely to enjoy the film, even if some parents may choose not to let them view it due to the somewhat common stance against bullfighting nowadays (one I fail to understand).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049030/combined

Our rating

In short

"The Brave One" tells the story of Leonardo – a young Mexican boy who raises a fighting bull from calf-hood.

3.2

Our rating

Where to Watch

Amazon

Why Kids Love Coming-of-Age Movies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B34FjAhzxIM

Great for Family Movie Watching

Pay It Forward (2000) - poster — Pay It Forward (2000) – poster

Coming-of-Age movies are great for family movie nights, especially since they are so much appreciated by the youngest of the family members. They are fun for children and parents can use these movies to help make a point to their children, like teaching them a lesson. These films are filled with action, drama and fun moments as well, in most cases having children as main characters.

The Characters

And perhaps this is one of the reasons children appreciate these movies. When the main hero is of an age close to the child, the young viewer can easily identify with him, being more attracted by the film’s story. Some children even have their favorite young actors, loving to see movies in which they play.

Imagination

Films such as these are also often filled with adventure, sometimes a fantasy world, and characters that go beyond their imagination. And we all know that children and a rich imagination always go well together. Childhood is, after all, a fascinating period — a time in which kids believe that anything is possible.

It’s no wonder they are so fond of movies in which their heroes always win, in which they visit lands found only in books, or where their heros have incredible powers. Of course, movies in which the joy of childhood and the mischiefs of children are presented are also among the favorites. Parents can use the attraction of their children to these movies to choose those that are educational, or have a valuable lesson to offer, in a fun and easy to understand manner.

Self-Discovery

Tomboy (2011) - poster — Tomboy (2011) – poster

Things are rather easy when you are just a child, imagining that the world in which we live will never change. But as children advance in age and go to school and high school, they discover that things don’t always stay the same — they change. They notice the formation of various social groups, and where they fit in among them. And, as they grow, children have their first contact with love and the building of friendships.

There are many Coming-of-Age movies that treat these issues from the perspective of a child or teenager. They are appropriate for their age and help parents explain various aspects of how these issues can best be approached. Of course, watching a movie is not a substitute for a healthy conversation between a parent and a child. But, because children will have a great time watching the film, it will set the mood to start a conversation related to social or romantic issues, perhaps in areas they may have an issue similar to those of the main character in the film.

Life-Lessons and Fun

So, if children see that others experience the same things they do, or see them reaching the dreams they dream about having, it may be rather uplifting. Children will get the feeling that anything is possible if they just believe and work for it. There is always an educational message in these movies, making them just perfect for young viewers who believe that anything is possible. In addition, a film’s special effects will always keep them with their mouths open each time something exciting happens.

For more on Coming-of-Age movies check:

or, if you are looking for a film to watch next, explore our top-notch reviews section.

Cider with Rosie (2015)

Based on the bestselling 1959 semi-autobiographical novel by Laurie Lee, the 2015 BBC ONE adaptation of Cider with Rosie is one of the best, if not THE best Coming-Of-Age movie that has graced the screen in the recent years.

I hadn’t read the book prior to seeing the film, yet was really intrigued by the captivating novelistic manner in which the story is told.

The ingenious usage of montage and voice-over narration (by the grown up protagonist relating the experiences of childhood seen from many years later) invokes memories of the manner in which To Kill a Mockingbird was adapted for screen in 1962.

The cast

Young Lol (Georgie Smith) , Cider with Rosie (Photo: BBC/Origin/Laurence Cendrowicz) — Young Loll (Georgie Smith), Cider with Rosie (Photo: BBC/Origin/Laurence Cendrowicz)

Georgie Smith and Archie Cox are the two young actors embodying the character of Laurie Lee (or Loll as everyone calls him) in his prepubescent and teenage years respectively. When Loll begins to attend school, he meets a pair of girls who he’ll end up going to school with for the next 10 years: Jo and Rosie. The girls are played by Isabella Polkinghorne (as young Jo) and Maya Gerber (Jo as a teen) and Libby Easton (Rosie as a young girl) and Ruby Ashbourne Serkis (as older Rosie). Together, these four actresses portray the stages of a girl’s blossoming — from “puppishly” pretty to beautiful. Despite choosing newcomers for the lead roles, the casting of the film is a complete success as everyone, both children and adults, deliver natural performances that really boost the authenticity of their respective characters.

The Narrative

I am not particularly fond of Coming-of-Age movies which devote only 10 to 15 minutes to childhood and then jump suddenly to the later stages of life for most of the rest of the film. Stories told in that manner miss out on the complexity of growing up — with its wonders and tribulations — which are an integral part of the whole rite-of-passage experience. Thankfully, in Cider with Rosie, the editing is done in a way that provides insights into the growing experience while keeping the viewer engaged for the entire film’s duration.

The narrative of Cider with Rosie genuinely portrays a great deal of the Coming-of-Age experience from learning about the war, about love, and about what makes people happy or sad – with a slightly humorous layer and heartwarming tone.

The Settings

The film’s setting goes hand-in-hand with a beautiful poetic narrative, featuring lavish landscapes, meadows and valleys that take one’s breath away. Combining these settings and the production design (for a film set in the last summer of the 1st world war) inspires a sense of melancholic nostalgia that’s in tune with the world of the narrator:

The world was a miracle to me. And one day l would record what l’d seen so that others could see it too. Before it was lost and gone forever.

This film adaptation of Laurie Lee’s autobiographical novel is truthfully met by the filmmakers. The film offers a window to another world – real in essence, but perceived as almost magical through the prism of time.

Archie Cox and Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Loll and Rosie , Cider with Rosie (Photo: BBC/Origin/Laurence Cendrowicz)

Even though half the film’s duration is devoted to the teenage years of the protagonists, Cider with Rosie is everything modern high-school Coming-of-Age films are not. It’s not SWAG in any way, but instead it’s charged with emotions and a beautiful portrayal of first love experiences (so poignantly and realistically presented that one can’t help but re-live his/her own). As an example, here is the manner in which sexual awakening is portrayed in the film:

The early exploration of Jo’s body was a solitary studying of maps. The signs upon her showed me the way l should go, over fIesh smoother than a candle’s skin. Like something thrown down from the moon.

Recommendation

Cider with Rosie promised and delivered an amazing cinematic experience for me. I could not detect a single flaw by the filmmakers and loved the film and the story it tells from the beginning to the very end. A true masterpiece worthy of being called “The Best Coming-of-Age film of 2015”.

Highly recommended!

Official Trailer

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4117850/

The Amulet: A Book Review

Although set in the late 1950’s, this story is timeless and will strike a chord even today!

The Amulet, written by 14-year-old Logan Morris, is a pacy jaunt with loads of good ‘kid fun’ that has you flying through the pages. And to borrow a line from the movie Stand by Me, based on the story by Stephen King …

“You will never again have friends like those you had when you were 12 years old.”

School holidays had begun, and the adventurous 12-year-olds were off to spend a couple of days at “Kurt’s cabin” on the Fleming farm property, where the boys could let their hair down and have a cigarette and perhaps even a beer or two.. and as you witness their excitement you can so relate to their mind-set.

Writing a short novel at age 14 is quite a contract, but for a first time effort, Logan does this with skill and confidence. And while gently drawing us into his magical world, we are reminded of our own childhood adventures and smiling and nodding our head as we turn the pages.

Buddy’s life changed forever when old Mr. Thomas died. And the amazing gift he left behind would challenge and shape Buddy and Mikey’s character and morality into the future.

You felt a sick satisfaction when school bully Leonard Evans got his just deserts; and your pulse raced as Buddy and Mikey did a night time lap in the Chevy Corvette, with the music up and the roof rolled back!

But all fun and jest to one side… this is really a story of how ‘too much of a good thing’ can have unwanted consequences that can even kill – look what happened to Mr. Thomas!

Logan’s story is an easy-to-read adventure that questions values from a child’s point of view. Skillfully written… it has you not wanting it to end.

Bravo!

The author of The Amulet, Logan Morris lives on east coast U.S.A and is just 14-years-old. In addition to writing novels, he writes poetry and composes song lyrics.

You can find his book at Amazon.com

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