Review of Son of Rambow (2007) by Kerry M — 28 Dec 2011

There are some interesting ideas, but I don't think it really works. It may make more sense if it's autobiographical, i.e. "here are a bunch of things that happened" rather than a real story.

For instance, the Brethren are shown as oppressive, but they actually had a valid point: Will started stealing after he spent time with Lee, and neither boy ever faced consequences for that. Will also lied continuously to his mother and made promises that he had no intention of keeping.

Speaking of his mother, it was pretty obvious that Joshua had a romantic interest, so she should have either reciprocated or declined rather than leading him on: that would have made life more comfortable for everyone involved.

Looking at Lee's family, I assume that he was called a "scab" because of his brother, but they never explained what his brother had actually done. If he'd crossed a picket line then where did he work? I assume that he was nominally in charge of the old people's home while his mother/stepfather were away.

As for their film (shown in the cinema), it's a bit like a school play: fun to participate in, but a bit dull to watch. If someone had made that now and put it on YouTube, I can't see it being particularly popular.