Movie Review: Son of Rambow

Son of Rambow is an ode to youth and the magic of cinema. Set in the early 1980's, this movie takes us into the lives of two youngsters as a whole new world of friendship and imagination open up in front of them. I cannot say that any of the ground covered is particularly new, but the way it is told makes the old coming of age stand-bys feel fresh, in turn making this a very sweet, very entertaining film. It will likely not go down as one of the best the genre has to offer, but there is no denying the appeal that Son of Rambow has. In particular, if you spent any of your formative years in the 80's, or if you have a love for he cinema, you are likely to have a lot of affection for this movie.

As the movie opens, we are introduced to young Lee Carter (Will Poulter), he is sitting in a movie theater, cigarette in one hand and a camcorder in the other (the big, old-school VHS kind, remember those?). He is bootlegging a little movie called First Blood. Following this introduction, we meet the other principle, Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner). He is of a considerably different upbringing than Lee. While Lee is a brash troublemaker, Will has a strict religious upbringing, and seems content to be a shy wallflower who escapes into his imagination.

The two meet in the school hallway, where Will is in the hallway waiting for his class to finish watching a documentary (his religion forbids any form of television), and Lee has been kicked out of class for causing a disruption. One perfectly aimed, and hard thrown tennis ball later and an odd friendship is born.

Their friendship goes to the next level when Will watches the bootlegged copy of First Blood. This inadvertent event opens up an entirely new world for him. For the first time in his life he has seen the real possibilities of imagination. To this point, his fantasies were confined to his book, where he draws ceaselessly. This leads to the revelation that Lee is making a movie for a young film makers' competition called Screen Test. What follows is Lee and Will teaming up to make a movie.

Will has been so taken with First Blood that he dreams up a Rambo inspired tale that sees him as Rambo's son seeking to rescue his father from an evil scarecrow. Yes, it sounds outlandish, and it is, but that is where the fun is derived from. In short order, the unlikely duo find themselves climbing the social ladder with many other students lining up for an opportunity to be in there film, including French exchange student, with a different idea about style, named Didier.

Watching them make the movie within the movie is a blast. I am reminded, a little, of Be Kind, Rewind, what with the do-it-yourself attitude and the sheer joy they have when making their respective films. Lee and Will are having an absolute blast while making Son of Rambow, of course it is not all fun and games, there has to be some sort of conflict to overcome.

Their conflict comes from their upbringings. Both of them have to overcome not having a father figure. Lee has to overcome not having anyone around to set boundaries, while Will has to deal with a religion that sets too many boundaries. It is interesting to see this difference in upbringing and what parental support they lack manifest itself in their desire to make the film. It is not really a downer, but it is an approach that works to make these characters appear as real people being affected by real situations within their world and the mechanisms they have developed to be able to handle it.

Yes, that stuff is kind of heavy, but it is not overpowering. Son of Rambow is a movie that is designed to make you feel good, and it succeeds very well at that. The performances by both of the young leads are quite believable, while the supporting cast also fills their roles well. Writer/director Garth Jennings, whose debut film (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) was a bit of a mess, turns in a heartfelt film that borrows from his own childhood, helping give it an authentic quality.

Bottomline. I like this movie. I like the performances, I like the story, I like what Garth Jennings was looking to make. Is it perfect? No, but it doesn't matter. This movie is very enjoyable, it has a good heart and a story that is sure to spark nostalgia, chuckles, and may even generate a little mist.

Recommended.