Will Homewood, now aged 14, goes to a boarding school in Oxfordshire England called Sibford School.
I had almost forgotten what an important nurturing place a school can be until I discovered my high school in Canada had burned down last year! The stage and auditorium were magic portals for me back then at the same age of 14.
Adaptations based on classic novels do not always inspire enthusiasm to be seen on the big screen. More often than not, such films fail to capture the essence of the works they are based on. The different medias, the cinematic potential of the original work, length and depth are just some of the challenges that are faced by the filmmaker.
Director Norbert Lechner manages to address all of those challenges in his 2012 film Tom und Hacke, loosely based on Mark Twain‘s novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
When it was first suggested to me that I write a review of the production of Oliver! by the Providence (Rhode Island) Trinity Repertory Company (Trinity Rep), my first reaction was that maybe there wouldn’t be enough interest in the show to warrant me publishing a review of it on this site.
The 2013 Canadian drama Hold Fast, directed by Justin Simms, features a touching story that would appeal to some viewers, while others will be disappointed by the lack of suspense and plot twists. Essentially the focus lies on the rite-of-passage of 14-year-old Michael (Avery Ash) who loses both his parents in a car accident.
“The events of childhood do not pass, but repeat themselves like seasons of the year”Eleanor Farjeon
We will probably never have such friends as the ones we had in our childhood. The magical time of our youth – filled with innocence, discoveries and joys — is the central theme of the creative short film that Tomas Makovsky directed for the musical piece Interdependence by Adrian Corker.
We follow 12-year-old Jack, the central character, growing up in small-town Texas in the 1950s, struggling with conflicted feelings toward his mercurial father: love and dread, both.
Troubled youth, a popular young actor in the lead role – that about sums up all I knew about the 1999 Thierry Redler film La traversée du phare (Crossing the Lighthouse). With such a significant unawareness, it didn’t come as a surprise that this French made-for-TV film totally exceeded my expectations, ending up being one of the best Coming-of-Age films I have ever seen.
Cotolay, a 1966 movie by the Spanish film director and screenplay writer Jose Antonio Nieves Conde, meets the general characteristics of a Coming-of-Age story “emphasizing dialogue or internal monologue over action”. Yet due to its linear, slow paced plot development and hefty film length, the viewing experience is sub par.
As this is an English language blog, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of the artistic performances reviewed by TheSkyKid.com come from countries where English is the primary language. But we must never forget that young talent lives all over the world, so we are thrilled when we can review a quality film, stage show or concert in a language other than English.
In that vein, we would like to introduce the musical Остров Сокровищ (Treasure Island), based on the bestselling adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. The Russian production of the show is by the Circus and Theater Company “Aquamarine” and is wowing audiences in Moscow. Described as a “musical adventure about friendship and true evil, betrayal, courage and fearlessness, about unruly poems and a beautiful, alluring sense of freedom”, the musical premiered in 2012 and has been on stage ever since, receiving rave reviews. Outside of reading such reviews from people who attended the musical, my impressions of it are based on a promotional clip of a song from the show, Песня о свободе (A Song of Freedom).
Песня о свободе (A Song of Freedom)
http://youtu.be/hS5z4OLpu0Q
There are several factors that make a good musical – choreography, vocals and a strong dramatic plot line. The performance of the cast in A Song of Freedom is an attestation that the creative team behind Treasure Island managed to create a magical experience for the audience.
The adventures of the young Jim Hawkins is a wonderful example of a classic Coming-of-Age story. Young Jim narrates almost the entire story, which is why it comes as no surprise that the attention of the audience is focused on the young actor playing the role of Jim Hawkins. The website of the musical lists seven young performers who rotate in the role, unfortunately not giving any specific information about them, but mentioning that, despite their age (12-13 years old), they are all true professionals and winners of Russian and international vocal competitions.
A boyish romance, adventure, passion for freedom, adventurism, honesty, courage and nobility – it’s no surprise that Treasure Island is one of the most frequently dramatized novels.
As soon as you look at the cover artwork for Isabelle Doval‘s film, Un Chateau en Espagne (see picture at left), you will identify its central theme – friendship.
The protagonists of the film are Maxime (Jean Senejoux) and Esteban (Martin Jobert), two 11-year-old boys who have grown up together in Paris.
Though Scandinavians have produced some weird movies, they also make the most honest films about growing up. My Life as a Dog (1985), Barnens ö (1980), and Benny’s Gym (2007) are just some examples that come to mind when thinking about Scandinavian Coming-of-Age movies. Most of the films have been adaptations of children’s novels.
Such is the case for the Norwegian short film I have elected to review: Alexander Røsler’s Sommerjubel (Joy of Summer). Aimed at children, the film has received recognition at several international festivals: the Norwegian Short Film Festival of 1985, the Chicago International Festival of Children’s Film, and the Kinderfilmfest in Berlin, both in 1986. Like most Norwegian children’s films produced in the 80s, Sommerjubel is not a serious drama or a suspenseful thriller, but a comedy filled with little jokes and charming scenes – light entertainment at its best.
The storyline is quite simple – the summer adventures and discoveries of several 10-year-old kids. They go skinny dipping (isn’t it too cold for that in Norway?), play together, and discover the wonders and confusions of growing up and changes in how they perceive the opposite sex (girls are not that gross after all, are they?). As a separate plotline, we follow the father of a pair of brothers falling in love with their teacher. That provides a sweet but comic parallel about falling in love at any age (the confusion and red cheeks seem permanent throughout Life).
And what can be more innocent than the way an eight-year-old thinks about the meaning of the expression “sexually mature”:
“What does sexually mature mean? Maybe it’s like apples and pears. When they are mature, they fall.”
I have to admit that some humor was lost on me (like the horse sounds when the father starts up his favorite Volkswagen). But then again, Scandinavians always embed some surprising abstract element in their films (like fantasy scenes) that make them seem weird yet unique in a special way.
Though you should not approach the viewing of Sommerjubel with big expectations, it’s a film that will probably remind you of moments from your own childhood, which is one of the reasons many people enjoy Coming-of-Age films in the first place. The humor may be lost on adults, but I suspect it will be caught and enjoyed by younger audiences. Overall, Sommerjibel is a cute film focusing on childhood innocence, curiosity, and exploration.
A short clip from the movie :
http://youtu.be/Q_bQHPshXiw
When one resides in Germany, it’s only natural to express interest in the local talent. Yet the first musical formation I discovered, Die Choirjungen (literally The Choirboys), evoked memories of the English boy band The Choirboys, a group of cathedral choristers that was active from 2005 to 2007.