I had heard some good things about this film some time after its initial release, on a TV countdown or something, and apparently that it was a surprise hit, so I was very interested in seeing it, from director Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Basically, set in 1982, shy and quiet schoolboy Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) with a family that attend the Plymouth Brethren religious sect, which he is forbidden to watch television or films, including during school lessons. One day in the corridor he meets badly behaved troublesome Lee Carter (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader's Will Poulter), and after both accidentally causing a fish bowl to fall and break Lee volunteers to take the blame, and he pretends that there is torture involved in his punishment. To make up for it Will allows him to take his watch, which belonged to his dead father, and saying that he still owes him for taking the blame Lee wants Will's help to finish the film he is making, inspired by the recently released First Blood at the cinema. Lee is making a film to be entered for the Screen Test Young Film-Makers' Competition, and he is using the home video equipment that belongs to his older brother Lawrence (Ed Westwick) who bullies him, and with this camera he secretly filmed First Blood and makes pirate copies. Will accepts helping make the film doing the stunt work he needs, as he saw the film First Blood himself and can't get it out of his head, he is very enthusiastic about being his own action hero, doing some slightly dangerous stunts. As time goes by what started as nervous tension turns into friendship for the two boys, they even make the pledge to become "blood brothers", but of course Will has to keep his friendship a secret as Lee is said to be a bad influence. New French exchange student Didier Revol (Jules Sitruk) arrives and quickly becomes very popular amongst the curious school boys, and when some of the others find out about this film project he in particular is keen to be part of it, Will says he can join, but Lee feels he is no longer in control and quits. There is some filming done without him, but he does come back when Will is trapped under some unstable structures that collapse at the abandoned power station, even though he was only coming to get the camera back. Lee ends up getting injured himself and forced to go to hospital, and when Lawrence visits him he is angry that he has been using the camera, and that it is broken, and even though Will's mother Mary (Jessica Hynes/Stevenson) isn't happy, she does allow him to be himself and even leaves the Brethren. Lawrence has a look for himself at the footage that has been filmed, and he is impressed, and with Will's help he makes his own participation in the film, a message to his brother. Lee leaves the hospital, and as a surprise he is taken to the cinema, and before the main film Yentl their completed film is Shown, Son of Rambow, at first the audience are tittering, but as they settle into it they love it, and it ends with applause and Lee and Will are reunited. Also starring Neil Dudgeon as Joshua, Eric Sykes as Frank, EastEnders' Anna Wing as Grandma and Sam Kubrick-Finney, Stanley Kubrick's grandson as Danny. Newcomer Milner gives an adorable performance as the quiet and then brightened up boy, and Poulter is also really good as the misbehaving and bully like for a while but slowly changed for the better friend, together they make a great duo. It is a good fun story about two boys making their own film based on the popular Sylvester Stallone hero, the friendship is believable, and the actual filmmaking process makes for some good giggles, and the subplots with the two boys and their home lives makes for realistically dramatic moments, this will appeal to the younger and older audience members, a fun to watch comedy drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for the Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer for Jennings (writer). Very good!
Review of Son of Rambow
