Review of Rocket Science (2007) by Manu S — 08 Sep 2011

A stutterer joins his high school debate team at the behest of a woman with whom he quickly falls in love.

Anna Kendrick, whose performance in Up in the Air showed her to be a strong if somewhat stilted actress, is nearly perfect as the debater/femme fatale in this quirky independent dramedy. And though Reece Daniel Thompson doesn't achieve a Colin Firth level of tortured stuttering, he is nonetheless compelling.

There are also some really funny and touching moments. I particularly laughed out loud at "There's now a cello in your house.".

However, the narration is overbearing. There is a constant musical score dominated by quickly strummed guitar chords that make me think these were added because they're required in independent films, not because the score accentuated the storytelling. Finally, there were several moments of over-editing. Contrast Rocket Science with A King's Speech, in which the camera stayed fixed on the King as he tried to spit out his words; in Rocket Science there are needless cross cuts to reaction shots that show little reaction.

Overall, like many independent films, Rocket Science is one to watch for the performances and occasionally clever script, not for its direction.