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REVIEW: 'Son of Rambow' an ode to youth and movies
By DAN BENNETT - Staff Writer | ∞
Bill Milner stars as Will Proudfoot, right, and Will Poulter stars as Lee Carter in the film Son of Rambow. (AP Photo/Paramount Vantage, Maggie Ferreira). Young filmmakers are often inspired by the masters ---- Hitchcock, Welles, Ford. In "Son of Rambow," the lead characters are 11-year-old filmmakers enamored with Sylvester Stallone in "First Blood," the initial Rambo movie. All the better for us.
"Son of Rambow" is an ode to moviemaking, but more so an ode to youth, particularly the carefree days around age 11. Set in '80s England, "Son of Rambow" stars two young actors with no previous experience. Bill Wilner plays Lee, a little tough guy frequently kicked out of class, but with an obvious imagination. Lee enlists the quiet and sheltered classmate Will (Will Poulter) to star in the homemade movie he's making ---- a sequel to "First Blood."
That filmmaking process brings the reserved and cautious Will from his shell, allowing him to finally behave as a kid. Jumping from trees and into lakes, firing arrows and acting like an action hero allows Will the opportunity to express himself for the first time, and get rid of some pent-up frustrations. The creative partnership and unlikely friendship also allows Lee to channel his negative energy into something vaguely positive. The result is an unlikely alliance.
Funny, touching and easily celebrating the joys of youth, "Son of Rambow" gets a little creaky with its sentimentality at times, despite some behavior that earns the film a PG-13 rating. The film ultimately emerges as a likable and worthy ode to childhood, friendship and the magic of movies.
B+ "Son of Rambow"
Starring: Bill Wilner, Will Poulter
Director: Garth Jennings
Studio: Paramount Vantage
Rated: PG-13 (for some violence and reckless behavior)
RT: 95 minutes
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