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Bookmark this pageSon of Rambow (2007)
Director: Garth Jennings
Movie review
From Time Out London
Garth Jennings’s last film, ‘The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, had visual imagination to burn, but was less sure-footed when it came to plot and character. It’s a pleasure, then, to find that his follow-up shows just as much wit and verve in its production design, while also succeeding as storytelling: ‘Son of Rambow’ is a schoolboy yarn with a bracing emotional honestythat packs a real kick.
Jennings takes us to the early ’80s Home Counties suburbia of his youth for the story of two mismatched pre-teens. Will (Bill Milner) is the sheltered son of a strict religious family, whose father has died in the Falklands and has never even watched TV; Lee (Will Poulter) is the tougher wide-boy, a latchkey kid who bullies and then befriends Will as they embark on a homemade VHS opus, after seeing a pirate copy of ‘First Blood’.
Meanwhile, a group of French exchange students descend on the school, including one particular guy who constitutes a New Wave all of his own. Will is a keen doodler, and his sketches burst out across the countryside in playful CGI, but there’s also great entertainment in the boys’ lo-tech Heath-Robinson production plans.
Backyard remakes are very much of the moment – think Michel Gondry’s ‘Be Kind Rewind’ – but ‘Son of Rambow’ integrates its slapstick genre pastiche into a thoughtful story about peer pressure, neglect and yearning. Both Milner and Poulter are terrific; their performances, along with a keen eye for the indignities of the playground, help keep things the right side of sentimentality.
Author: Ben Walters
Time Out London Issue 1963 – April 3 – 9
User reviews of this film
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- michelle said...
- Posted on Apr 13 2008 23:29 the biggest losd of rubbish i have ever seen
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- lois said...
- Posted on Apr 13 2008 23:22 This film is brill. As good as Millions - lots of laughs for kids & adults Go & see it
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- stefan_rfc said...
- Posted on Apr 13 2008 17:57 it is amazin how can pepo dis this film i've recommended it to all da pepo a know!!!
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- Tom Ball said...
- Posted on Apr 13 2008 12:55 Fantistic feel good entertainment. Great date movie!
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- alex said...
- Posted on Apr 12 2008 13:22 rubish rubish rubish a not see movie i went there it was boring
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- V.Coleman said...
- Posted on Apr 12 2008 12:23 To add to my previous comment, after reading some of the other reviews - there is nothing intelligent about the writing, as one comment states.The film was nonsense from the start and it didn't improve.
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- V.Coleman said...
- Posted on Apr 12 2008 12:13 I took my 9 year old twin sons to see this film and we all thought it was the most boring film we had ever seen. This film should not be on the big screen - more for home viewing. We ended up leaving before the film ended as it was so bad. I don't know why all the other reviews recommend the film. Don't waste your money!
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- jill and the boys said...
- Posted on Apr 09 2008 20:07 took my son and three of his palls on his 11th birthday treat. i had read the reviews and was,nt disapointed. a great film. could even be a classic. In this day and age of high drama blood guts and gore i found it a refreshing piece of entertainment. The young actors are a thrill and the story heart warming. We all laughed out loud several times. Well worth the stars...Go see!!
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- alison said...
- Posted on Apr 09 2008 16:55 fantastic film !!! loved every minute of it. i recommend it to everyone =D
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- lauren said...
- Posted on Apr 08 2008 13:25 I Am going to see thi9s film today . it looks brilliant me and my friend are one who laugh at anything so it should be good
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- leanne said...
- Posted on Apr 07 2008 21:00 Going to watch the film on saturday nite, it looks a fantastic film to watch..
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- blotty said...
- Posted on Apr 06 2008 18:01 I've just seen this film with my 16 year old son and we both thought it was excellent. A well balanced mix of sentiment humour and intelligent story telling. Proof that not every story including school kids has to be set in the American mid west.
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- parky said...
- Posted on Apr 06 2008 17:20 awesome saw it on 1st dayy brilliant cudnt of asked for a betterr movie great
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- lennon said...
- Posted on Apr 06 2008 13:09 the film is amense it is classic funniest film ever just behind meet the fockers
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- luke said...
- Posted on Apr 05 2008 22:52 pointless so rubbish not worth it
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Cast & crew
Director: Garth Jennings
Cast: Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Jules Sitruk, Jessica Stevenson, Zofia Brooks, Neil Dudgeon, Tallulah Evans, Adam Godley, Jessica Hynes full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Rated: 12A
Duration: 95 mins
UK Release: Apr 4 2008
US Release: Apr 4 2008
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