Jess + Moss (2011): A Second Opinion

Editor’s Note: A day ago (June 14, 2012), theSkyKid.com published a review of Jess + Moss. After reading that review, PhoenixEast, one of the regular contributors to the site, indicated that he had a different viewpoint on the film and asked if we’d publish his review of it. TheSkyKid.com has always welcomed opposing viewpoints and has encouraged dialogue/discussion among its readers. So, of course, we said yes. What follows, then, is a distinct viewpoint about the film Jess + Moss. We encourage you to read both reviews and judge for yourself which take on the film you agree with — or perhaps you have yet another opinion of it. After all, variety is what makes the world go ’round, as the saying goes. We’d love to hear from you in the “Comments” section.

Warning: This review contains spoilers.

I thought Jess + Moss beautifully captured so many defining childhood moments and the transition out of childhood. No, there is not a great deal of plot here. But, oh my! The characters are so rich in depth!

I don’t think there needs to be a breathtaking plot to the film at all. I think what we are shown is breathtaking in itself and, after all, life is not a plot. Life is built around memories and moments in life that define who we are and I think Jess + Moss really captured this well. Although a very different film, The Tree of Life also uses this style as a means to convey its story.

I loved the juxtaposition of the two main characters. One trying to hold onto her memories as she wants to perceive them while repressing the actuality of the situation, and the other trying to find lost memories in the midst of falsehood as well.

The film’s central theme is memories in themselves and the moments that make these memories. I think Moss is so troubled that he does not remember his parents that he has become obsessed with holding onto and remembering the moments that he has with Jess, hence the constant recording of their conversations and activities. I think he is building his life around that, and the need to have Jess in his life is so great that, by the conclusion of the film, she not only leaves for herself, but she also leaves for him. A life lesson in itself for Moss, as these moments, cannot last forever.

Austin Vickers as Moss in Jess + Moss

I think Jess has been burdened with the memory of her mother walking out on her and promising to return. In her constant recollection of this memory, she has built a hatred for herself — blaming herself for the situations that have unfolded in her life. I think she finds solace in Moss. She finds a companionship she has lost through time. Only once do we see the home lives of Jess and Moss. Jess is completely removed from the world around her — she is mistreated — but through Moss she finds an escape. I think she fears growing up because for so long she has lived in the hope that her mother will return. She has become almost dependant on that and, in a sense, she doesn’t know how to move on from that. She lives through Moss as much as he lives through her.

Sarah Hagan as Jess in Jess + Moss

There is a lot of visually metaphorical undertones in this film as well. For example, the scene where they light the big bon fire in the middle of a field. This is intercut with shots of a post office and a shot of a petrol station, both completely empty and still, representing that for Jess and Moss time is standing still in this moment. For them, nothing else matters in the world but this very moment. The outside world can go to hell as far as they are concerned, and this is a true feeling of childhood. As the film progresses, Jess must obviously come to terms with the fact that it just simply cannot always be like this, as much as we all would love it to be. This is also one of the most beautiful and free aspects of being a kid.

The love between Jess and Moss is so pure as well. Only once in our life times do we experience a companionship like that, and that is something we hold on to forever. For Moss, this has come at a tender age and I think his self discovery is subtly, but skillfully, shown. I think the microscope and the bugs is another great visual metaphor, representing the self-discovery of Moss in the environment that surrounds him.

I have to say that I adored the fact that this film was shot on 16mm film as well. I thought it was used perfectly. And, considering the main theme of memories and nostalgia, I thought it was a perfect choice. I loved how the director used the noise/gain aspect of 16mm and used it very appropriately.

Is this an experimental film? I would say no. I think the film’s messages and characters are very clear, and its progression is very clear. It uses a wide range of metaphorical images representing certain aspects of our characters and situations, but the film’s main points are visible. I would say it is technically experimental, in the terms that the visuals and camera work are but, as a whole, I would say no. I’d say it’s an abstractionist Coming-of-Age drama.

The ending was just so picturesque as well. Their acceptance of both who they are and of their lives’ misfortunes are represented in such an elegant manner. The fireworks at the end are almost a congratulatory celebration of this acceptance, the new memories they are about to create and also are a gorgeous representation of their love.

Lastly, I thought the acting was just brilliant. So raw, and so real. I think the fact that Clay Jeter was able to capture these moments in such a manner is a real testament to his abilities as a director. There was not one moment where I didn’t feel or believe the connection between the two characters. The chemistry was perfect. Two very talented actors in Sarah Hagan and Austin Vickers.

Overall, I thought a film was incredibly moving and beautiful in so many ways. I thought 80 minutes was a perfect runtime as well.

Rating: 9/10

PhoenixEast’s Rating System:

<5 Bad/Fail

5 Borderline Pass/Poor

6-6.5 Average

7-7.5 Good

8-8.5 Great

9-9.5 Amazing

10 Masterpiece

More reviews by the author

Jess + Moss (2011)

If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you will have noted that I rarely, if ever, do a negative one. This, however, does not mean that I do not occasionally stumble upon movies that fail to impress me. Sometimes when that’s the case, I just opt to write nothing at all about them.

I had high expectations for Clay Jeter’s 2011 film Jess + Moss. When I saw its trailer and read several reviews, I could hardly wait to see it. At first, I thought that my expectations would be met.

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Best Child Performances of the Last Ten Years

Christian Bale is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished actors of his generation. He has mesmerized audiences over the past decade with haunting, well-rounded turns in films like American Psycho, Rescue Dawn and The Prestige. He is also the figurehead of modern cinema’s most lucrative franchise, Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the Batman movies. In 2011, he won an Academy Award for the performance of his career as a down-on-his-luck former boxer in The Fighter. But what most people forget is that Bale has had a long time to hone his craft. He has been appearing in movies since 1986, the year that he turned twelve. Before he turned eighteen, he moved audiences with the lead role in a Steven Spielberg movie Empire of the Sun. Bale is a rarity in Hollywood: A child actor who attained success in his adult career. It may just be because of his talent. If that’s the case, these five child actors may win Oscars themselves one day.

Five child actors who exhibit the talent that may win them Oscars one day

Thomas Horn in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Though this film does not come without its flaws, there is little bad anyone can say about the acting here, thanks to a stellar cast including world class talent like Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright and Max Von Sydow. But the star of this show is 14-year-old Thomas Horn, who delivers a knockout performance as an autistic child looking for one last connection with his father that died on 9/11. Horn has to balance a lot of complicated emotions and manage severe character tics, but he does it with the aplomb of an old pro.

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Max Records in Where the Wild Things Are
Taking on the role of Max in the adaptation of the classic Maurice Sendak children’s book would be a dream job for any child; at least it would have been for me. I guess it’s fitting it went to a kid named Max, and this young actor does the part beautiful justice. The twelve-year-old Records is funny and vulnerable all at once, and experiencing the wild rumpus through his eyes is a real treat.

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Saoirse Ronan in Atonement
Honestly, this spectacular young performer has more stellar performance on her resume than a lot of today’s adult A-list stars. But her finest work comes in the 2007 masterpiece Atonement. Ronan, who was thirteen at the time the movie was made, plays Briony, a socially awkward girl who commits a terrible mistake that has severe consequences for her family for decades to come. Despite her small frame, Ronan gives a very adult performance. Each line is delivered with icy confidence, every mannerism is well thought-out. Saoirse Ronan is a name I expect to see on movie posters for a long time.

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Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
The Coen brothers are legendary filmmakers, and are typically favorites of actors. But one quick glance at their filmography and you’ll discover they are unaccustomed to working with child actors. Their work with Steinfeld in their 2010 remake of the classic western would lead you to believe otherwise. Steinfeld is a pistol; she fires off a dialogue at a rat-a-tat pace that is explosive. Even though she is matched up against magnificent actors like Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon for a majority of the movie, she refuses to be shown up. If anything, she shows them up.

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Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot
I’m saving this performance for last for two reasons. 1. I’m cheating here. This film dates to a little more than ten years ago. 2. It’s the best of the bunch, and too good to ignore. Bell is electric as a British ballet prodigy, but pursues his “girly” hobby despite the wishes of his overbearing father. Bell does his own dancing too. You can’t take your eyes off the kid. This film came out in 2000, and Bell is grown now. He has done fine work in movies like King Kong and Defiance, but he has yet to top his stunning debut.

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Katharine Hepburn once said, “Acting is the most minor of gifts. After all, Shirley Temple could do it when she was four.” These five actors may have a minor gift, but they have major talent.

Guest article by Zack Mandell

Author bio: Zack Mandell is a movie enthusiast, writer of movie reviews, and owner of www.movieroomreviews.com which has great information on actors such as Christian Bale. He writes extensively about the movie industry for sites such as Gossip Center, Yahoo, NowPublic, and Helium.

The Turtle Boy: A Book Review

What started as a laid back Coming-of-Age story, turned into a mystical and scary tale. A few months ago, I stumbled upon the book The Turtle Boy while looking for rite of passage themed stories that I might enjoy. When I found this book on Amazon, I was drawn to it by three things: its title, the cover and the price (as, at the time, the Kindle edition was listed as a free download).

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The Tender Bar: A Book Review

Finding an excellent Coming-of-Age novel can be a hard task and reading a book usually takes much longer than viewing a film. Which is why, despite my best intentions to cover the Coming-of-Age genre in all areas of the arts, theSkykid.com’s book section has not been updated for a while.

That being said, I am often fortunate that when I choose a title to read, the story quite often grabs me and, as result, I can’t wait to share my impressions of it with the readers of TheSkyKid.com. I pick books that tell stories about growing up, Coming-of-Age and books in which the protagonist is invariably male. That gender decision has to do with the fact that I am much more likely to identify with a male character (being a male myself) and I consider character identification one of the most important benefits of a book.

When I selected The Tender Bar by J.R Moehringer, I didn’t know what to expect. I was drawn by the cover image, which portrayed a young boy peeking curiously from behind a bar counter. I knew the book was written as a memoir so, therefore, I expected the story to be told in the first person. And I was not disappointed.

The action takes place in the town of Manhasset, on Long Island in New York — a “hard-drinking town”, as the author describes it. And in that place, the young boy J.R., forms an intriguing relationship – one not commonly associated with the proper relationships that society imposes on youth – a relationship with a bar room (tavern) and the men who frequented it.

An only child abandoned by his father, J.R. needed guidance on his way to manhood — a model to follow…

“… I needed men as mentors, heroes, role models, and as a kind of masculine counterweight to my mother, grandmother, aunt….”

The bar is filled with colorful characters that amuse the boy, who was initially sent to it to get cigarettes for his uncle Charlie.

“At eight years old I began to dream of going to Dickens as other boys dream of visiting Disneyland.“

But despite the on-going presence of the bar in J.R’s life, he doesn’t spend his entire time there:

“..I went into the world, worked and failed, played the fool, had my heard broken and my threshold tested…“

And those voyages are what the book is really about – voyages representing the Coming-of-Age experiences of the author. He leads the reader through the story of his childhood years, through his time as a teen and in college, and then through the trials and tribulations of early adulthood. An engaging story filled with wisdom and funny passages — it will not only make you smile, but will bring back a lot of your childhood memories.

Most of us have special places that we identify with our childhoods. For me one of those places is the house of my grandparents, where I used to spend warm summer days swimming in the river and playing in the nearby hills.

Having a bar room as a memory anchor seems, at first, quite unusual and intriguing, but before you dismiss such a possibility the author informs us:

“Had I grown up beside a river or an ocean, some natural avenue of self-discovery, I might have mythologized it. Instead I grew up 142 steps from a glorious old American tavern, and that has made all the difference. “

James Michael Tyler interviews Pulitzer prize-winning journalist J.P. Moehringer author of The Tender Bar

The Tender Bar offers an immense account of interpersonal relationships as the young J.R. explores the world around him. He receives a lot of advice, makes mistakes and learns from them, and thus shapes his personality while simultaneously exposing the reader to what I believe to be invaluable lessons about life.

“You must do everything that frightens you, J.R., everything. I am not talking about risking your life, but everything else.“

I was able to find a lot of similarities between the J.R. experiences and my own — especially in regard to his relation with girls/women, his college days and his struggle to justify the years spent in preparing himself for a bright future. But even if you are not able to relate to J.R.’s experiences, you are guaranteed to appreciate the skillful way in which they are told, his tasteful humor and self-irony.

The memoir of J.R. Moehringer is a prime example of an excellent Coming-of-Age novel — a classic Bildungsroman – in which the goal is maturity and in which the protagonist achieves it gradually and with difficulty. It has a potential to appeal to a wide age range of readers from teenagers to elders and delivers hours of unforgettable reading experiences.

Highly recommended!

The Tender Bar: A Memoir at Amazon.com

Sam Verlinden Is Following His Dream

I remember well the very first time I heard Sam Verlinden sing. It was on a video on YouTube and the song was called Sweet Child of Mine. When I first listened to this song, it just BLEW me away! So after I found my way back home, I turned down the volume and listened to it again. I knew instantly this young man was destined to be a star! I was hooked! A Sam Verlinden fan I had become.

From there, I went on a quest to watch Sam’s many videos on YouTube, which have nearly two million combined views on them thus far. Being a True Rocker at heart, I instantly fell in love with two more of Sam’s famous songs, We Are the Champions and Stairway to Heaven! I also enjoyed It Will Rain, Hallelujah, One Voice and Forget You. It became abundantly clear that Sam has a natural ability to sing just about any type of song, with a vocal range that is virtually limitless. I tease Sam that he could sing the phone book and it would still sound great!

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The Nature of Nicholas (2002)

A while ago, I was told that this was a very “weird” film. When my friend said it was “weird”, I was expecting more along the lines of visual abstraction. This was not the case. This film takes “weird” to a whole new realm.

The acting is a bit average throughout, mainly from the support roles. I thought Jeff Sutton as Nicholas was outstanding as the lead. It’s a shame he didn’t go on to do much after that.

I thought the film started strongly in terms of story and was very clear and easy to relate to. The characters had clear wants and clear obstacles, which was good. After the kiss, though, I have to admit that I was a little thrown by the zombie. It just pops up out of nothing and turns into a whole new film. As the film progressed, though, I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

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Allan Clelland-Goddard on The Mystery Artist Show

The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on the radio at TheSkyKid.com. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist from somewhere around the world. On 20-May-2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with Allan Clelland-Goddard, a multi-talented young musician/singer who is well on his way to a career in music and entertainment.

Note: This publication is a transcription of the original interview aired on TheSkyKid.com radio. The clip included below features the whole interview and snippets of the songs that were played during the live broadcast. In this transcript, “TMAS” will represent the questions posed by the Mystery Artist’s Show and “ACG” will be Allan’s answers. Jeffrey has also provided some post interview commentary that were not part of the interview as aired, but rather represent his impressions of the interview after the fact. Those comments will be shown as “Jeffrey“.

Jeffrey: Having done as many interviews as I have so far, it was an extreme pleasure to actually sit down beside today’s Mystery Artist, Allan Clelland-Goddard, for my very first live interview with an artist. Having being born in England and spending most of his life in Trinidad-Tobago and now living in Orlando, Florida, I couldn’t help but ask…

TMAS: What was the reason for the decision for you all to move from Trinidad to Florida here in the US?

ACG: First of I’d like to thank you for having me on the show today Jeff. My parents decided we would have greater opportunities moving to the US for my music and future careers, rather than Trinidad. There’s lots of stuff that I’m engaged in. I’m in school, I’m doing bio-engineering which is like engineering of parts of the body for humans. Let’s say you have an arm cut off and you want to create a synthetic limb for somebody. It’s like engineering DNA and nerves for them. Music… well it’s been quite good. Eight months after I moved here, I heard of a competition on WMMO Radio. They had a free contest for the band YES, which of course is a famous band from England. They were having a competition to see who could open up for them by singing the National Anthem. You uploaded a song of you singing it a capella. Based on their decision and votes from the public, they’d decide who would get to go through and well I won, long story short. So I got to open for them, which was very exciting, especially after just coming here eight months earlier.

Allan singing ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ at WMMO’s ‘Yes’ rock concert

http://youtu.be/baCzb269JHw

TMAS: Was it hard for you, after being here only eight months, to remember the Star Spangled Banner?

ACG: HEHEHE. Not really. I just practiced it a lot. If I mess up, it’s in front of a huge crowd that’s easily 2,000 people. And, of course, it was for YES. It was astonishing.

Jeffrey: I was really surprised that, at only 14-years-old, Allan had already decided that as a backup to his music he wants to become a bio-engineer.

TMAS: What exactly is a calypso?

ACG: A calypso is basically a four-versed chorus song that originated in the Islands. I guess you can say it’s a reggae beat song. There’s no way to describe it unless you really listen to it and appreciate it.

Jeffrey: Of course, like so many young artists nowadays, not only does Allan sing, but he also acts as well. While in Trinidad, he played the role of Oliver in the musical Oliver, Kurt in The Sound Of Music and Chip in Beauty and The Beast.

TMAS: Since being here in the US, have you done any acting?

ACG: Not as much, no. It’s been primarily singing and putting videos up on YouTube. Acting was fun and I would really like to get back into it whenever I see a play that is close to where we live.

Jeffrey: Besides singing and acting, Allan enjoys playing the tenor steelpan (commonly known as steel drums to many), piano and drums. After doing a little research, I found out that the steelpan originated in Trinidad, so I couldn’t help but ask Allan about that.

TMAS: Can you tell me a little bit of the history of the steelpan?

ACG: When Trinidad was colonized, the African slaves were banned from playing music out in the streets and celebrating and stuff by the colonists, as punishment. After they left, they used all kind of leftover material, including oil drums on which the lids were cut off, and they realized they could make different notes out of it by heating it up and pounding it with a hammer, causing different tensions in the steel which produced the sound. It’s quite interesting and was developed in the last century and it’s considered a skill to be able to make one.

Jeffrey: Unfortunately Allan wasn’t able to bring his steelpan with him to the states because it was too big. I was really hoping to be able to find someone, here in Florida, who had a steelpan that I could’ve borrowed so that Allan could’ve played a few songs, but unfortunately was unable to.

TMAS: With your music and everything, do you have much time to spend with your friends?

ACG: I do, actually. Music isn’t my whole life. I’m still down to earth. I’m not completely focused on it. Whenever I get the chance, I’ll put out a song. I mean I’m dedicated to it, but I’m not a music head you could say. I like to spend time with friends and I like to play football (also known as soccer). Music is a passion, but it’s not my only passion.

TMAS: What’s it been like for you since you’ve moved here to the United States?

ACG: The initial months were kind of rough. Well… not rough… but, of course, you miss all your friends. Life otherwise, in school, isn’t really that much of a change. I miss the friends, I miss doing musicals in Trinidad, I miss the food, of course. There’s lots of good food, but other than that, coming over here, I’ve made a lot of new friends and the people are real friendly. It’s been nice.

TMAS: How big of a difference has there been as far as the school systems and the people compared to over there in Trinidad?

ACG: Well, the school systems are fairly different. The actually follow the British way of teaching. There’s something called primary school (standard 1, standard 2, standard 3, standard 4, standard 5), which would be grades 1-5 and you go to secondary school which is middle school and high school combined. You take examinations called “key” in all levels, instead of SAT’s, which determine colleges. Actually, in order to get into standard schools, there’s stream, there’s A standard schools, B standard schools, C and so on. At the end of primary school, you take a test known as Secondary Entrants Assessment, also known as the SEA exams. Depending on how well you do on that, you get into an A, B or C level school and I, not to brag, I actually got into one of the top schools in the country, St. Mary’s College. It was a fun school. Life I wouldn’t say was laid back, as you had to work. The community was nice; the teachers were friendly and friends, of course, they were great. Up here it’s not too different. The teachers are nice up here. The friends are great, as well. They’re very friendly. People walk up to you at lunch and introduce themselves. It’s a great environment to be up here in school.

TMAS: Do you still have people come up to you wanting to hear your accent?

ACG: Yea, all the time. On a daily basis, yea.

Allan Clelland Goddard Audio Article

http://youtu.be/fVNxYUN3iDY

TMAS: What kind of advice would you give to other young artists, such as yourself, who are just starting out?

ACG: I would say to stay grounded. Don’t let your head get too big. Remember that you need to do some work in order to reach the top. If it doesn’t work out, then you have to have a Plan B. You don’t have a definite chance of getting it, but still try for it and ask for all the help you can get from your parents, family, etc. Just take every opportunity to sing.

Jeffrey: Of course, when I asked Allan that question he looks over at his mom, Deborah, who is using her hands to tell him about not letting your head get too big. LOL Like any other young artist, Allan dreams of one day being known internationally as a singer and an actor.

TMAS: Do you still have those same dreams?

ACG: Yea. But you know what? If it happens, it happens. People always ask me on Facebook, my friends, are you famous yet? We’ll leave that up to God. We’ll see what happens. Because if I put all my effort into it and I end up not making it, what am I going to have as a Plan B? So, it’s not the only thing I’m focused on. I do put some time into it, though, because God helps those who help themselves.

Jeffrey: Besides Allan and his mom Deborah, there were also twin sisters Genevieve & Kiona (also singers who sometimes appear on Allan’s YouTube page) who also came along for the interview.

TMAS: How well do you and your sisters get along?

ACG: It’s frustrating, at times, but when we get along, it’s good.

TMAS: Do you three argue all the time and stuff like that?

ACG: YES! (laughs from mom and sisters).

Jeffrey: Allan’s song Street Children (written by his mother), focuses on homeless children all over the world who are living on the streets.

Allan Clelland-Goddard Street Children (Original song)

http://youtu.be/bSH9jlFMnEI

TMAS: Tell me a little bit more about Street Children?

ACG: I’ve always felt emotional about the situation. Street children, their government sees it as their humiliation and, rather than try to help them, they mask it to help beautify themselves so they don’t look bad to other countries. It’s a disgrace because there are millions of them. It’s not a problem specific to one country, it’s the whole world and I dream of helping them.

Jeffrey: Deborah had mentioned to me that Allan may re-record this particular song now that his voice has changed and all proceeds from the sale of this song go towards helping that cause.

ACG: Yea. I look forward to doing that in the near future. The video was done, I think, when I was 11. It’s gotten a lot of notice since then. It’s provided a lot of world-wide views. I have 28,000 views on that right now, which is exciting for me. Hopefully, when I produce it again with a new voice, people will like it as well and it will gain even more notice around the world.

TMAS: Has it been difficult for you once your voice changed?

ACG: Not really. I’ve been singing through it, trying to find out how to control it more. Because, once it breaks, it’s different. It’s a bit challenging because you lose some of those high notes that you were able to sing when you were younger. But, instead, you have to go into your head voice which is a different tone. It’s a challenge to produce that same sound in your head voice that you were able to in your chest voice. It’s exciting I guess.

TMAS: Do you by chance have a vocal coach?

ACG: Yes I do – Mr. Mark McKee. He’s fantastic and a great, great pianist. He’s guided me through my voice breaking and helped me gain more control over my voice. Overall, he’s fantastic. Great vocal coach.

TMAS: Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to add?

ACG: To everyone listening out there, thank you to all my subscribers, especially to Rod (Rivenmaster – owner and administrator). He’s done so much. Thanks a lot. To Chris from Thailand, he’s helped me a lot on my videos. And also to you Jeff, thank you so much.

Shortened version on the interview originally aired on TheSkyKid.com Radio

http://youtu.be/7gwPWGUtYnM

Jeffrey: I’d like to give a special thanks to Deborah for taking the time to bring Allan by for the interview and to Allan for being able to squeeze me into his busy schedule so he could sit down to do the interview with me. If you’d like to learn more about Allan, you can visit his website at www.allanclelland-goddard.com or his YouTube page at www.youtube.com/user/clellard.

Eye of the Eagle (1997)

In the style of Robin Hood and The Prince and the Pauper, a medieval adventure, the Danish movie Eye of Eagle has all it takes to keep viewers of all ages glued to the screen.

I read many books about knights as a kid, and this fairytale-themed movie allowed me to re-live the excitement I felt when I imagined myself as a character in the stories that captivated the imagination of my youth. Whereas the film is aimed primarily at a young audience, those of you who have managed to keep that adventurous spirit of youth will appreciate the tasteful way the story is offered.

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For a Lost Soldier: An Interview with Roeland Kerbosch

In January 2012, the world lost Rudi van Dantzig – an acclaimed choreographer and writer. For twenty years, Dantzig served as Artistic Director of the Dutch National Ballet. Ted Brandsen, the current director of the institution, described Rudi as “inspiring, passionate, intense and true to himself ” [2].

In 1986, Dantzig published an autobiographical novel titled Voor een Verloren Soldaat (For a Lost Soldier) in which he recalls his youthful affair with a Canadian soldier when the Netherlands was liberated at the end of WWII. The first person narrative of the rite of passage experiences of Jaroen, the young protagonist of the film, is one of the most powerful and sincere accounts of growing up ever written. It consequently won numerous awards – despite the highly controversial theme of the book. It was translated into English and adapted for the big screen in 1992 by the Dutch director Roeland Kerbosch. The film, undoubtedly of the Coming-of-Age genre (though the first person narrative is lost in the transfer to screen), had a nationwide American theatrical release and consequently was distributed on VHS, DVD and, most recently, via on-demand streaming on both Netflix and Amazon.

The majority of the reviews, on the film’s IMDb page and on Amazon.com, are positive – as evidenced by the ratings on the sites: 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon, 7.6 out of 10 stars on IMDb (rating figures are as of 03.05.2012). One of the reasons for such high ratings may be read about in Stephen Holden’s review published in The New York Times. He writes: “One of the strengths of the film is its refusal to load the story with contemporary psychological and social baggage… the film assigns no blame and assesses no damages” [3]. The powerful story by van Dantzig, an author who “…. felt acutely the intolerance of the times” and made it “… a major theme in his ballets and writings” [1]. For a Lost Soldier became one of the most controversial Coming-of-Age films ever released.

Twenty years after the date that the film was first screened, TheSkyKid.com contacted the film’s director, Roeland Kerbosch, for an exclusive interview. In the interview that follows, TheSkyKid’s questions will be represented by “SK” and Mr. Kerbosch’s answers will follow with the designation “RK“.

The Interview

SK: The movie For a Lost Soldier is based on the autobiographical novel with the same name, written by Rudi van Dantzig. He passed away few months ago. How well did you know him?

RK: Although it was difficult to get to know the real Rudi van Dantzig, I think I knew him quite well.

SK: Recently I talked with a friend, who mentioned that some years ago he had a conversation with Rudi van Dantzig in which he mentioned that he wanted to make a sequel to his story as it appears in For a Lost Soldier? Are you aware of that idea and if such a sequel were written would you have been interested in doing a sequel to the movie as well?

RK: The idea for a sequel must have been a misunderstanding. Rudi wanted to write a novel on the same subject but from the point of view of the soldier.

SK: When one sees the film for the very first time, the mis en scene in the small Frisian village where the action takes place makes quite an impression. One of the reasons for the popularity of the book in the Netherlands is the fact that many of the readers went through the experience of being sent away during the “hunger years“ of WWII. In fact, I read somewhere that you were also sent to Frisia as a kid. How has your personal experiences contributed to the adaptation from the book to the large screen?

RK: The novel was successful in The Netherlands; the film was not. Only a very few readers could have had the same experience as Rudi and myself during the so-called hunger winter in 1944-1945. Mostly just kids from Amsterdam were sent to Friesland and, because of lack of transport, only a few could escape the lack of food in Amsterdam. Rudi and myself we were lucky. I fully adapted my own experiences in Rudi’s story. It became a mixture of his and my story. The relationship with Walt was Rudi’s sexual experience, not mine as I was only four at the time. The atmosphere of the film and the visual impression is my personal memory, added to the novel.

NLD-19929691-HILVERSUM: Actors Jeroen Krabbe, Wouter Smit (m) and Andrew Kelly in For a Lost Soldier ‘. COPYRIGHT KIPPA

Image source : http://www.anp-archief.nl/page/95573/nl

SK : The talent of an actor, combined with the direction of the production, is what makes a character memorable to moviegoers. The role of Jaroen requires a great deal of talent from the young actor, mainly because of the wide range of emotions he is expected to portray on screen. Maarten Smit did a marvelous job, but because of his age and the controversial subject matter of the film our readers would be interested in the casting process for the role. What made Maaren Smit stand out from among the other candidates for the role and do you have any memories from your work with him while filming the movie?

RK: Maarten Smit (Jeroen) indeed did a marvelous job. At the casting sessions, he was self confident and intelligent, not at all behaving as a kid actor who wants to do this role; that’s why I choose him. I could easily communicate with him. He read the novel, didn’t think much of it. He understood it very well though, the implications of the story, and what his performance should look like. And that’s what he did: a professional.

When For A Lost Soldier had its successful release in the USA, he was approached through me by Disney Studios. He turned down the invitation to come to Los Angeles for an audition. That was typical Maarten Smit: the job was done, get on to something else; not acting.

NLD-19929691-HILVERSUM: Actors Jeroen Krabbe and Wouter Smit en in de Nederlandse speelfilm ‘ Voor een verloren Soldaat ‘. COPYRIGHT KIPPA

SK: Having mentioned Maarten Smit, we must also ask you about the casting of the other protagonist of the film, Andrew Kelley, in the role of the young Canadian soldier Walt. Was he really a dancer at the Royal Dutch Ballet and did this play any role in the casting process?

RK: I knew Andrew Kelley as a dancer at HNB (Dutch National Ballet). It was his features, his introverted character, and, moreover, his vulnerability that convinced me. As a dancer, he had tremendous discipline and, of course, some acting experience. He was extremely insecure during the difficult scenes with Jeroen. But Jeroen helped him quite a lot on the set to get through it.

SK: Are there certain things you think that you could have done differently if you made the movie today?

RK: If I would do this movie again, I would ask for much more money for the dancing scenes. The way these scenes were written originally in the screenplay would have given a lot more production value to the film.

SK: For a Lost Soldier is a film with sensitive subject matter and, even to this day, many people consider it one of the most controversial films ever released. Yet the sensual way in which the story is portrayed has resulted in many people liking the film, as evidenced from its high ratings on IMDB, Amazon.com…etc. By now, one can safely say that the film has become a classic as people recognize the value of the story and learn to reach their own conclusions to the many questions that the movie raises. That’s nowadays – but what was the public reaction like when the film first came out? How was your film received in other countries? Was the film ever banned or not respected in some parts of the world?

RK: The response to the film in Holland was, for me, disappointingly low. The outspoken Dutch homosexual scene expected and wanted “raw meat”. For A Lost Soldier is a romantic love story, a homosexual love story that could have been a heterosexual love story as well. The homosexual part of it is less important than the love story as such.

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The film won the Public Award and the Jury Award at the Torino Film Festival, was internationally successfully released especially in the USA where the film figured in the Variety Top Twenty for several weeks. The film was released theatrically all over the world without any restrictions. Only TV release was impossible, but who cares? Video and DVD took over in time.

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SK: Having read the biography of Rudi van Dantzig at the web site of the Dutch National Ballet made me wonder if the dancing scene in which Jaroen dances with Walt was your way to pay tribute to the successes of the author as a dancer and choreographer?

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RK: Rudi van Dantzig himself made no secret of the fact that he was never a very good dancer. As choreographer and director of HNB (Dutch National Ballet), he inspired many dancers, composers, painters, and filmmakers like myself. His influence went much further than ballet. My personal tribute to Rudi was the movie For A Lost Soldier.

SK: Let’s finish the interview with a question I always ask filmmakers. As theSkyKid.com mainly focuses on Coming-of-Age films, it would be interesting to know if you have a favorite Coming-of-Age film that you could recommend to the people reading this interview.

RK: While not really a true Coming- of- Age film in the strictest sense, I’d recommend the French film Etre et Avoir . It is “between the lines”.

I would like to dedicate this interview to the memory of Rudi van Dantzig.

In Memoriam Rudi van Dantzig 1933-2012

Sources used :

1. Rudi van Dantzig. The Telegraph . 02 Feb 2012 <> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/dance-obituaries/9057493/Rudi-van-Dantzig.html

2. Brandsen Ted . “Rudi van Dantzig” The Dutch National Ballet – Het Nationale Ballet. 01/19/2012 <> http://www.het-ballet.nl/en/news/news/2012/01/19/rudi-van-dantzig/

3. Holdens, Stephen. “For a Lost Soldier (1993) Review/Film; Treating a Delicate Story of a Soldier and a Boy Tenderly”. The New York Times 07/05/1993 <> http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CEEDD1F3DF934A35756C0A965958260#

For a Lost Soldier (1992)

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Look to the Sky (1993)

As soon as the film started rolling, I knew I would spend time with tears in my eyes. And I was right. By the sixth minute, I was fighting back the tears. Look to the Sky is a drama based on the autobiographical novel Childhood by Dutch writer Jona Oberski. The action opens in Amsterdam, where Jonah, a five-year-old boy, lives happily with his family. Jonah narrates the story (first-person narration is the best way to approach a movie adaptation of an autobiographical novel), and one immediately feels a closeness to the little boy, which makes the scenes that follow all that much harsher to watch.

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Look to the Sky (1993)

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Razvan Dobai on The Mystery Artist Show

The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on radio at TheSkyKid.com. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist from somewhere around the world. At the end of April 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with Razvan Dobai, a talented young singer from Romania. From early childhood, Razvan has participated in numerous festivals and competitions in his native country of Romania.

When I finally received the answers from Razvan to be able to put the show together, his mom told me that he had re-recorded his answers several times because he wanted to make sure that everything was just right, since his English isn’t that good. I wouldn’t consider this as being a perfectionist, but rather someone that takes pride in what they do to make sure everything is just right.

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In Memoriam Rudi van Dantzig 1933-2012