Disappointed with the horror films that fit into the Coming-of-Age genre, I decided to see if a book would deliver a better experience. The novel Neverland by Douglas Clegg caught my attention. A book named after the infamous world of Peter Pan had to be good – and it is, only the Neverland of Mr. Clegg turned out to be so much different than J. M. Barrie‘s.
Bullying – as much we talk about it, listen to songs and watch movies against it – it is still happening. The sad truth is that it always will, because some people enjoy it. Yet there is one thing all those movies and all that talk achieve – raising awareness and encouraging people, when they witness bullying in their lives, to act as opposed to looking the other way, and be a friend to the victim while hopefully realizing that bullying is not cool and its victims are real.
The Coming-of-Age genre doesn’t feature many good horror films, but there are a few notable exceptions: the Swedish film Let the Right One In, Philip Ridley’s The Reflecting Skin, Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone and most of the adaptations of Stephen King’s novels (It, Carrie, Desperation). Generally speaking, finding a good Coming-of-Age horror is a difficult task.
That is probably the reason why, when I see a promising horror flick, I can’t resist popping it in the DVD player. Keith Allan’s 11/11/11, released in 2011, is about 11-year-old Nathan (Hayden Byerly) – who may or may not be the incarnation of evil on earth. The movie’s DVD cover grabbed my attention first and foremost.
The plot seemed somehow familiar, similar to that of The Omen. But I thought that possibly I would witness some surprising twists that would make my time worthwhile. As a result, I spent an hour and a half watching a weak remake of The Omen filled with clichés and the average performances of the cast.
A lot of blood is shed and a suspenseful mood is attained at times, but the story is so predictable that I kept asking myself if I should re-watch one of the Omen movies instead. At least in those the central characters are better developed and, as a result, one ends up caring what will happen with little Damian (from the 2006 remake starring Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick or Harvey Stephens in the 1976 original film).
Hayden Byerly’s character in 11/11/11 felt pretty flat. Yet I am more willing to blame that on the person who wrote the script rather than on the performance of the young actor. That lack of character development also diminishes the Coming-of-Age value of the film to a status of practically being non- existent.
While I wasn’t bored, I did feel annoyed by the simplicity of the plot. Yet, as the movie progressed, I kept up my hopes for a good ending that might turn the whole story around and save the film. Instead I was in for another disappointment!
At the end – 11/11/11 is just another time-waster and I would recommend that you check out an article titled My Coming-of-Age Horror Mini Marathon at All Things Horror and pick another horror flick — unless perhaps you have never seen The Omen or yearn for a deja-vu experience.
11/11/11 (2011) Trailer
Forbidden Games is the title of a 1952 French Coming-of-Age movie directed by Rene Clement. Nowadays, such a title is likely to bring to mind associations with controversial messages and themes as the result of the constant brainwashing by most western media. But the French classic, based on a novel by Francois Boyer, focuses on the harsh reality of war and its impact on children.
Have you ever wondered where you would find yourself if you dug a hole in the ground all the way to the opposite side of the earth?
I have, as a kid, but have never attempted it – lack of the right motivation is my excuse. But Doug has. He’s the young protagonist of Philip Hodges’s short film Dig. The motivation — the reason – a pursuit of true love. How’s that for a driving force?
The Kiddush Man is a touching Coming-of-Age short film set in Jerusalem, Israel. Its surprisingly simple story focuses on the experiences of Yoni – a young Jewish boy – who tries to sneak into the “Kiddush” buffet at Shabbat before anyone else. His mischievous behavior usually gets him in trouble with Mr. Katz — an older religious man — until one day his fear is replaced with compassion…
The film brilliantly demonstrates the importance of the musical score as it features a tender musical accompaniment composed by Greg Pliska that makes the viewer relate to the story on a subconscious level despite the lack of dialogue. Raum-Aron’s performance in role of Yoni feels genuine, which contributes greatly to the emotional closing scene of movie. The Kiddush Man radiates calmness and tenderness – thanks to the skillful directing of Yitz Brilliant. While the movie features motifs from the Jewish culture, one doesn’t have to be Jewish to understand its message.
Watch The Kiddush Man (2008) below :
A humane, heart-warming Christmas movie – without a trace of commercialism. I thought that type of film would be hard to find. Yet this season The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is the second such flick that I stumbled upon (the first was the Norwegian film Christmas Story, which I recently reviewed on this site). Based on a novel by the children’s author Susan Wojciechowski, the movie tells the story of a young boy named Thomas who struggles to come to terms with the demise of his father. Upon his father’s death, Thomas and his mother are forced to move from their aristocratic family home in the city to the farmhouse of Thomas’s aunt, located in a small village in the countryside of England.
To bring a little past into their present, Thomas’s mother decides to ask a local woodcarver to create a replacement of the family’s Nativity Scene, which was lost during their move. The woodcarver is an irritable recluse who has an intriguing role in the social life of the little village. It seems no one knows much about him, and the kids of the village fear his presence. At first, the woodcarver refuses the job but, after a lot of convincing, eventually agrees to do it and even allows the unthinkable – the presence of the boy and his mother at his house while he works on their request.
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is a Coming-of-Age film as evidenced by the genre traits present in its narrative (overcoming hardships while adjusting to new environments). The premise of the story is essentially love, understanding and acceptance seen through the prism of faith and goodness to oneself and others. Yet the film does not feel preachy and manages to keep one’s attention for its entire duration.
I’m used to powerful endings, so I was a bit disappointed with the open ended finale of The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey. But, for some, that is the best way to conclude an inspirational, feel-good story.
The acting is a bit unusual. Director Bill Clark had the actors reciting their thoughts aloud while, on other occasions, they addressed the viewers directly in an almost theatrical manner. The young Luke Ward-Wilkinson, who plays in the role of Thomas, has a particular tenderness in his voice that makes his character appear all the more vulnerable. Yet it takes some time to get used to it (at first one may even feel slightly annoyed). It’s a personal observation, but I have to mention it as the actor’s voice really made an impression on me. The rest of the child actors deliver good performances, which can’t be said for most of the adults who left a lot to be desired.
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey Trailer
The film is essentially a period piece as it’s set in the first years after WWI. I truly enjoyed its visual appeal – the costumes, the props – typical for the era. Yet, while the production design was excellent, the usage of GGI (Computer Generated Imaginary) did not feel appropriate for a period film. The film’s beauty lies in its story – and the visual effects did nothing to enhance it in an appealing way.
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey will appeal mostly to adult audiences, despite the fact that it’s based on a children’s book. Yet, the story is family-friendly so potentially the whole family may enjoy it.
Film title: The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
Also known as: Wunder einer Weihnachtsnacht ,Egy varázslatos karácsony
Release year: 2007
Director: Bill Clark
Cast: Luke Ward-Wilkinson, Tom Berenger,Richard Tyler ,James McDowell,Wallis Woodman and others
IMDb Page
Not everything this 14-year-old youngster from Langley BC has sung is brilliant, because he is still a voice maturing. But there are moments in songs like Oh Holy Night or All by Myself when Cole’s clarity and precise control convince me that he is an enormous vocal talent developing!
More than just that, Cole Armour has the heart to perform at many benefit and charity occasions such as concerts for Cancer Research, Children’s Hospitals and Animal Welfare. There is an aspect of humanitarian Messiah in the appeal surrounding Ron Armour’s son.
No, A Christmas Story 2 is not a sequel to the Norwegian film Christmas Story (Joulutarina) that I reviewed a few days ago. This movie is, in fact, a sequel to a 1983 film of the same name directed by Bob Clark. Pitched as “The Genuine, Authentic, 100% American Christmas”, A Christmas Story 2 shares only one characteristic with the 2007 Norwegian production – it’s a Coming-of-Age narrative.
“People don’t like children who are different. That’s why it’s best not to go out…”
Do you believe that being different than the people around you will make you less likable? The parents of Freddy Dermul do. Freddy is a 10-year-old Flemish boy who has a problem with his digestive system and his parents try their best to protect their son from any possible embarrassment by explaining how cruel others can be to people different than themselves.
Set in the middle ages, Tomas and the Falcon King (Král sokolu) tells the story of 14-year-old Tomas (Brano Holícek) who lives with his father, grandfather and little sister and who helps his hardworking father take care of the horses belonging to the local ruler, Lord Balador. The boy possesses a unique ability: he is able to understand the language of animals and birds.
“If your fear is greater than your love, I pity you.”
Movies about events that took place in the years foreshadowing the outbreak of World War II, especially those whose plots involve children, are typically emotionally charged with stories no one can remain indifferent to. Throughout the years, I have reviewed several for this site: Venice (2010), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), Look to the Sky (1993) and The Island on Bird Street (1997).
