Son Of Rambow

It’s hard to see how this film couldn’t be liked by men of a certain generation, whose own summers spent running about gardens, fields, woods or playgrounds with ties tied around their foreheads and imaginations running on overtime are wonderfully emulated by this Hammer and Tongs (of Hitchhikers Guide…) film. I know it reminded me of the thrill of running about the place, fully convinced that I was as indestructible as a certain Sylvester Stallone legend, and for that alone, this film was more than worth the watch.

So the fact that it has dozens of belly-laugh-inducing moments, a touching script and fantastic acting from newcomers Bill Milner & Will Poulter is all pure bonus. Son of Rambow tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Will (Milner), marked as an outcast in school because of his family’s membership of the staunchly conservative and regressive Plymouth Brethren religious sect, and Lee Carter (Poulter), the school miscreant, neglected at home, but with a good heart behind it all, and their endeavour to win a BBC young filmmakers competition with their First Blood-inspired tale.

The result is an entirely charming film with its heart in the right place that’s chock full of laughs and nostalgia. Wonderful. A-.