Last night I got to catch an advanced screening of the British comedy, Son of Rambow. I had no idea what to expect, even after seeing the trailer, but I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable movies I’d seen in a while.
The story centers on two boys who become enamored with Rambo: First Blood and set out to make their own version of the movie. The two were so effective in drawing me into their world. The journey was a bit surprising at times, but never at all unbelievable. Or boring; I laughed out loud throughout the movie. And I’m quite happy to finally discover a film that is chocked full of quirkiness that doesn’t evoke a comparison to Wes Anderson.
Watching these two boys run around and let their imaginations flow freely really struck close to home with me. I kept recalling my summers and weekends romping around my neighborhood with my best friend, role playing as whatever cartoon or movie we were currently obsessed with. After seeing Top Gun, we’d swoop around as if we were fighter jets. After Ghostbusters, we’d lug giant backpacks with garden hoses. And even during a rather intense Ninja Turtles fixation, we’d don green sweats, cloth rags for eye-masks and carry ninja weapons rigged out of PVC pipe.
The obsessive doodling over every possible surface also resonated strongly with me. I’ve had more than a few instances of teachers stopping their lessons to march towards my desk and rip the paper out of my hands to keep me from drawing and pay attention. Even in college I had class notes that were indecipherable due to the amount of sketches jammed into every inch of white space on the page.
I have a hard time imagining people coming out of this movie without smiles on their faces. Everyone should check out this movie.
No comments:
Post a Comment