Son of Rambow

By Kate Xian
May 8, 2008

I’ve always found British comedies to be a refreshing breath of air to the usual college/frat drunken comedies of the Hollywood kind. From Shaun of the Dead versus Superbad (though I do have a special fondness for McLovin’), the Brits have always been able to include just a tad more heart that makes the characters a little more real, a little more relatable. Flaws are a part of the charm in films overseas whereas here on the West, flaws are often overdone to the point of annoyance.

Son of Rambow is no different. At the bottom of it all, the film is about two unlikely friends who find a bond through childhood dreams. Did that sound cheesy? I assure you this is no Notebook. Set in the 80’s, Son of Rambow pokes fun at all things 80’s and injects life into seemingly innocent young boys and their high jinks antics. Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is a fatherless boy and his family is deep in the Plymouth Brethren where watching movies and television is as taboo as…dating your sister. He unexpectedly befriends bully/outcast Lee Carter (Will Poulter). The fast talking Lee recruits Will as a stuntman in his home video film after Will’s already incredibly active imagination is put into overdrive after accidentally watching Rambo. Will eventually recruits the school superstar - French exchange student Didier Revol and chaos ensues.

Though Son of Rambow had its slow patches, surprisingly its most endearing moment was a quiet scene with Didier on his way home to France. I won’t spoil it here, but it was thirty seconds that really puts popularity into perspective. It was these small moments that made the film charming. Milner and Poulter are both naturals on camera. For children, they did a wonderful job keeping from playing their characters stiffly as children often do. It was in fact, one of my reservations going into the film and I was happily disproved.

On the other hand, the laughs were not as frequent as I expected. Although it is more of a coming of age story than it is a comedy, I did expect much more absurd high jnks that only a film titled Son of Rambow should provide. I didn’t have that many laugh out loud moments, but I did indeed have some. It was clear to me that the film was more strongly focused on how Will and Lee grow and change over the course of their friendship within its first half hour. Not to say that it is a downside in any way, but it is important to be aware of if your expectations were much like mine.

Family dynamics is also a dominant theme in the film and the subplot with Will’s surrogate father is incredibly engaging. It was treated with subtlety yet it invokes an immediate reaction out of you. Milner easily moves from a child with a wild imagination to a child facing tragedy and lost in mourning.

The quirky child-like animation also added immensely to the charm and whimsy of the film. It brought to life Will’s world and we got the opportunity to see first hand through his eyes. I’m always a sucker for quirky animation.

Though the film has its flaws and a slightly predictable outcome, all in all, Son of Rambow oddly enough puts into perspective the idea of school popularity and which friendships in the end are truly meaningful. I had flashbacks of my elementary school days and I thought about the kids that were popular and unpopular and how in the bigger scheme of things, popularity means zilch. The film has a big heart and I find it remarkable how two little boys had to carry the burden of this film on their shoulders. Milner and Poulter are sure to find their way into more impressive roles and they will continue to surprise us.

Wide Release Date: May 2, 2008
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Director: Garth Jennings
Producers: Nick Goldsmith
Executive Producers: Bristol Baughan, Benjamin Goldhirsh, and Hengameh Panahi
Music: Joby Talbot
Screenplay: Garth Jennings
Director of Photography: Jess Hall
Editor: Domini Leung