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.
The Book Thief is an internationally bestselling book. Yet, when I decided to see the 2013 movie adaptation directed by Brian Percival, I hardly knew anything more about its story other than the action is set in Nazi Germany. More often than not, films about wars with children in the lead role turn out to be heart-wrenching dramas, which is why my expectation was set in that direction. Unfortunately, while there are a lot of things that I liked about the film (especially the intriguing voice-over narrative), it failed to involve me as deeply as some of the other films with similar themes: The Island on Bird Street (1997), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), or 4 Days in May (2011).
Not having read Markus Zusak‘s novel, I could only speculate about its qualities. But I find the common belief to be true — that usually books deliver much more captivating and emotional experiences than their movie adaptations. The Book Thief’s adaptation feels more like a fairy tale at times than a serious, realistic drama. Such an approach to storytelling has its advantages. A lot of attention has been paid to the visual design of the production. Sets and costumes convincingly recreate the period of history in which the action is set. Yet, somehow the settings and the vibrant cinematography of the film upstaged the actors.
And speaking of acting, The Book Thief is one of those films in which an actor in a supporting role outperforms the lead actor. Despite less screen time for Nico Liersch as the faithful friend of Liesel (Sophie Nelisse), a young girl from whose viewpoint is largely told, Nico manages to fill his character with authenticity and impulsiveness. In comparison to his performance – the acting of Sophie Nelisse feels a bit stilted – even timid, so much so that I found it impossible to identify with her character’s emotions. I’ve found that identifying with the lead character is one of the essential requisites if one is truly to appreciate the Coming-of-Age nuances in any story. I was also not impressed with any of the members of the adult cast, including Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush.
The objective point of view that director Brian Percival utilized ensured continuity of the narrative but effectively resulted in boredom after the first hour. Keeping in mind that the suspense amount in the story is minimal, I find the screen duration to be unnecessarily stretched – over 130 minutes.
I honestly enjoyed some of the scenes, mostly those that portrayed the development of the relationship and trust between Nico Liersch and Sophie Nelisse’s characters. Those scenes with a humour hint provided a welcomed relief from the otherwise pretty straightforward and chronological storytelling.
For those who enjoy a fairy tale manner of narration, Brian Percival’s adaptation of The Book Thief would fit in perfectly on a lazy Sunday afternoon. But if you’re like me and prefer more realistic and emotional portrayals of the undoubtedly dramatic events that took place in Germany during World War II, you will be better off looking elsewhere.
The Book Thief (2013) Trailer
Film title: The Book Thief
Release year: 2013
Director: Brian Percival
Cast: Roger Allam, Sophie Nélisse, Nico Liersch, Heike Makatsch, Julian Lehmann, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and others
IMDb Page
Can a seven-minute-long movie evoke multiple feelings? Ruben Pracas proves it can with his heartwarming short film Revive. What’s more, true to the maxim that cinema is a visual art, he has achieved the evocation of a range of emotions without using a single line of dialogue, in what I found to be a very inspiring film.
Most Coming-of-Age films have their narratives set in the past. That is why I am always intrigued when I hear about a film with a story line set in the present time. George Tillman Jr.`s 2013 drama The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete really impressed me with its wonderful portrayal of contemporary urban childhood.
Weird! Hard to grasp at first– yet beautifully shot. That comes to mind when I think about the 2012 short film Skin, directed by Jordana Spiro. My initial confusion was caused by the fact that I didn’t know what a taxidermist is and that knowledge is essential to one’s understanding of the development of the film. Ben (Albert Flood), the main character, despite his young age (12 or 13), possesses some special skills.
It’s a film about first love, about a desire to bring a smile to the face of your beloved. Skin captivates the attention of its viewers predominately with its beautiful cinematography, with stunningly beautiful reflections in the water or making the forest leaves somehow to symbolize the unconscious within the main character’s soul.
Skin‘s character development relies on the carefully chosen settings: an abandoned pool, the surroundings of the house that Ben inhabits, and its inner atmosphere. The camera tells the story so that dialogue isn’t even needed and is only sparingly used throughout the movie. Close-ups, things like a falling tear or a smile, help the viewer comprehend the characters’ inner world.
Although the movie may be confusing at first, consecutive viewings helped me appreciate its story and how the director decided to present it. Initially shocked, I realized that the story is more touching, and its basic idea could be applied to many of the interpersonal relationships in our daily lives. The Coming-of-Age value in the film comes from the life lessons that both the young character and his beloved girl learn due to their actions or lack of the same.
The film (and its characters) feels a bit weird at times but, at the same time, strikes one as a truly authentic account of growing up, which is why I don’t hesitate to recommend it.
Few movies better address social problems and inequalities than those that portray those realities in the United Kingdom. In 1999, Lynne Ramsay directed Ratcatcher, a distinctive example of a film that defined a problem in society in Glasgow, Scotland. More recently, The Selfish Giant, directed by Clio Barnard, achieved great success in exposing social vices in England.
Charlie Green, the boy who in 2008 charmed the musical pants off a nation in Britain’s Got Talent, will turn 17 on February 16, 2014!
Born in 1997 to an English father and a Filipino/Spanish mom, Charlie spooned out tunes way before his talent show breakthrough.
Just the other day I was watching some mindless action movie on TV and thinking that the genre has lost all of its appeal to me. More of the same every time. However, I didn’t dismiss my hopes for discovering a funny short film that had elements of action, crime and… yeah Coming-of-Age nuances to spice things up.
Not every film that graces my screen is worth writing about. Yet every film is a product of the efforts of a creative team and the actors. That is the reason why I have decided to do a short write up about one of the 16 finalists for Tropfest 2013 (Australia) — The Pledge For Mister Bunny.
If you want to improve your German, watching films is your best bet and especially those with a Coming-of-Age narrative such as the charming In the Morning at Seven the World Is Still in Order (Morgens um Sieben ist die Welt noch in Ordnung). Based on a book by Eric Malpass and directed by Kurt Hoffmann, the film focuses on the everyday life of a German family perceived through the eyes of its youngest member — six-year-old Gaylord (Archibald Eser).