SON OF RAMBOW is the name of the home movie made by two little boys with a big video camera and even bigger ambitions. Set on a long English summer in the early 80's, SON OF RAMBOW is a comedy about friendship, faith and the tough business of growing up. We see the story through the eyes of Will, the eldest son of a fatherless Plymouth Brethren family. The Brethren regard themselves as God's 'chosen ones' and their strict moral code means that Will has never been allowed to mix with the other 'worldlies,' listen to music or watch TV, until he finds himself caught up in the extraordinary world of Lee Carter, the school terror and maker of bizarre home movies. Carter exposes Will to a pirate copy of Rambo: First Blood and from that moment Will's mind is blown wide open and he's easily convinced to be the stuntman in Lee Carters' diabolical home movie. Will's imaginative little brain is not only given chance to flourish in the world of film making, but is also very handy when it comes to dreaming up elaborate schemes to keep his partnership with Lee Carter a secret from the Brethren community. Will and Carter's complete disregard for consequences and innocent ambition means that the process of making their film is a glorious rollercoaster that eventually leads to true friendship. They start to make a name for themselves at school as movie makers but when popularity descends on them in the form of the Pied Piper-esque French exchange student, Didier Revol, their unique friendship and their precious film are pushed, quite literally, to breaking point.
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Family
Runtime: 96 minutes
Rating: 7.2/10 (11,189 votes)
Release Date: 22 January 2007
Country: France, UK, Germany
Languages: English, French
Company: Hammer & Tongs
Sound: SDDS, DTS, Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some violence and reckless behavior.
Director(s): Garth Jennings
Producer(s):
Bristol Baughan – executive producer
Christian Baute – associate producer
Trevor Evans – producer: underwater unit, Watertight Productions
Benjamin Goldhirsh – executive producer
Nick Goldsmith – producer
Peter Nadermann – associate producer
Hengameh Panahi – executive producer
Michel Reilhac – associate producer
Jane Robertson – line producer
Meinolf Zurhorst – associate producer
Writer(s):
Garth Jennings – (written by)
Cast:
Neil Dudgeon – Joshua
Bill Milner – Will Proudfoot
Jessica Hynes – Mary Proudfoot (as Jessica Stevenson)
Anna Wing – Grandma
Will Poulter – Lee Carter
Tallulah Evans – Jess Proudfoot
Emilie Chesnais – French Teacher (as Emile Chesnais)
Paul Ritter – Geography Teacher
Finola McMahon – Gail Graham
Rachel Mureatroyd – Marie Plante
Music: Joby Talbot
Tagline: Make Believe. Not War.
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Story of two boys who make a sequel to Rambo using a video camera.Along the way their friendship and need to create has effects oneveryone around them. This is a sweet little movie that is being oversold by some reviewers. Its a nice little tale, but I don't think itsas great as some have said. Perhaps had I stumbled upon this on my ownI would have liked it more. Certainly I can relate having made films asa kid. Its a good film you will enjoy it.Forgive me for not saying morebut I have to see it again to properly discuss it since its one ofthose films that was not what I was expecting so in a way I wasdisappointed. (Addendum: I think my hesitation to liking the film isthe fact that the one kid's parents are part of a deeply religious andrestrictive sect. I think the problem is not so much the group itself,rather that its belief's or restrictions are more a Deus Ex Machina forthe plot rather than an organic part of the story. I say this since itsbeen niggling at me since I saw the film early last night)
Son of Rambow is both a victim and beneficiary of the incredible hypeit enjoyed upon its first release. A victim because no film is ever asgood as the level of hype suggests, and a beneficiary because similarsmall-budget films rarely get the level of publicity (and subsequentmoolah) Rambow enjoyed. The film itself is diverting enough, with someinventive moments, but subtlety is sometimes abandoned in favour of thesledgehammer approach.
In order for the film's message to get across, it's necessary for BillMilner's Will Proudfoot to have a sheltered upbringing and this isachieved by having his mother a member of an Amish-type religiousorder. I've seen groups of people spouting the bible in town centresand bus stations, but I 've never heard of a British order eschewingall modern appliances – to the degree that Will is barred from evenwatching educational TV programmes in school – and wearing dresses andheadclothes straight out of the 19th Century American mid-west. I couldbe wrong, there may be thousands of people living like that in the UK,but it just comes across as an ill thought out plot device thatdistracts the audience.
At the core of the story is the burgeoning friendship between twoopposites – Will and the rebellious Lee Carter (Will Poulter) – whichis adequately – if predictably handled – and the suppression ofindividuality and creativity by marginalised religions. Imaginationoffers both boys a means of temporary escape from the problems in theirlives and they combine their own devices to create a sequel to Rambo.There are sub-plots running through the story, the major one beingabout the need to appreciate real friendship over the desire forpopularity amongst one's peers – yeah, that's right: the evergreen 'betrue to yourself message.'
The two boys perform well – although not outstandingly – for beginnersand, overall, Son of Rambow is painless, undemanding entertainment.There's very little out of the ordinary about it, and the last coupleof reels don't really tie things up as adroitly as they perhaps should,but you probably won't feel cheated of the cost of a rental.