Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Boy David Story (2002)
Director: Alex McCall
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
A young Campa Indian from Peru, David Lopez was born with a rare, disfiguring disease that left him with a gaping hole where most of his face should have been. His parents took him to a mission, whence he was flown to a children's hospital in Lima. A Swiss charity worker, moved by his desperate situation, 'kidnapped' him and took him to Dr Jackson, a Scottish plastic surgeon who has since performed more than 90 operations in an attempt to rebuild David's face. The case was singular and contentious, and footage was gathered over the course of 20 years. Too bad, then, that in spite of this huge archive, director McCall doesn't allow the story to tell itself, lumbering it with a clunky voice-over ridden with superfluous observations and bland clichés. Add a score of panpipes and soaring violins to much of the film, and it's even harder to recommend it. That said, David's resolve and the determination of everyone involved in his story make for sobering, occasionally uncomfortable viewing.Author: JFu
Cast & crew
Director: Alex McCall
Producer: Desmond Wilcox, Alex McCall
Cast: David L Jackson, Ian Jackson, Marjorie Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Linda Jackson, Sarah Jackson, Susan Jackson, Mary Rodriguez, Father Severino, Sister Sita, Mother Amalia, Father Castillo full cast
Genre(s): Documentaries
Duration: 100 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now