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View Author:rusted rick (Kolkatta, India)
EMAIL: ritchick.mozumdar [at] gmail [dot] com

Title: SON of RAMBOW : an entertaining British indie

I never had a camera while growing up; we didn’t have a handycam not even those 8mm ones, and the only still photography camera, my dad’s Kodak used to be kept far out of my reach in his shelf.

Though I clearly remember sneaking it out a few times and once even dropping it. While growing up the films which I saw was strictly censored and mostly restricted to light hearted comedies. I was never allowed to see RAMBO though I heard all about it from my class mates in school, and suffered from inferiority complex.

The school I attended never had a sixth form which felts like a disc, heck I never even heard about it before watching this film apparently it is some common room where 9th and 10th graders can scoialise.

Now before you start wondering why am I to bore you with these random pieces of information about my boring little life, let me explain myself. Well handycams, RAMBO, and sixth forms which looks like discs are some of the most important aspects attached with a small British indie called SON OF RAMBOW coming from Garth Jennings of the famed music video production team Hammer and Tongs.

Well despite all my depravity during childhood I happened to find myself relating to the film and rather enjoying it and chances are even an Eskimo teenager would relate to it as long as it is translated in a language of he understands. Well that’s because the so very universal appeal of the whole storyline and the directors way of showing it in an all very dramatic and colorful fashion just like a child’s imagination.

The basic storyline is about an average English town in 1982 revolving around the interesting life of a 12-13 year old boy named Will whose family is part of a strict religious group that prohibits him from having any friends outside the group and strictly forbids him from watching any TV or Movies. Without these usual sources of childhood entertainment Will finds other ways to pass the time, namely in drawing out his flourishing imagination that he scribbles and doodles all over the pages of his bible. One day Will unexpectedly crosses paths with the school terror Carter who also happens to be an amateur bootlegger at the local movie theater. Will, whose never seen a movie before is caught off guard when at Carters home he sees Rambo playing on the TV, the visuals of the movie explode in Will’s imaginative mind and from there on out Will is forever changed. An unlikely friendship begins between Will and Carter as they begin production on Carter’s home movie masterpiece, Son of Rambow. The two children begin coming closer before their friendship is tested by a new-wave French exchange student Didier Revolve. As the friendship between Will and Carter begins getting twisted so does his relationship with his family, as the church group starts taking notice of Wills more worldly interests. In the end Will must stay true to himself and the film must go on.

While the most recognizable themes of staying true to one’s heart and the bonds of friendship readily exist on the surface, more unconventional morals frequent the underlying story. In this offbeat tale of growing up, rebellion is viewed as comical and a necessary implement for combating the evils of order. Religion is shown as a suppressing tool of control, confining both creativity and imagination, as well as forbidding socializing with those outside the faith. Rarely in kid’s movies do we see religion as the villain and rebellion the key to success. The storyline follows a rather predictable progression, but what makes the film unique is the multitude of exaggerated stereotypes and off-the-wall characters.

Writer-director Garth Jennings skillfully weaves together the overlapping worlds of children, teenagers and adults in this film with excellent dialogue and cinematography. The camera-work is striking in many places, particularly the opening montage of front gardens, with Lee riding his bike past and casually causing havoc. The film also benefits from its bubbly soundtrack, composed by Joby Talbot.

Son of rambow might not be revolutionary and maybe it won’t set the box office on any kind of fire, (though it got fairly appreciated at Toronto and the other festivals it was screened this year) but it is worth checking out.

P.s- am gonna go now and watch Rambo for the first time

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