Review of Son of Rambow (2007) by Adam W — 24 May 2009

Son of Rambow is one of those movies that's so, so much more than the sum of its parts. The story is pure formula: the outcast kid, the bully, the way they bond and become friends - you could fill in most of the gaps.

The direction is fun; there's a heavy Anderson and Gondry influence, to be sure, but it gets the job done. And the acting is all solid, but nothing brilliant. And yet, somehow, all of this adds up to a joyous, wonderful little piece of film that just makes me happy to watch it.

There's a lot of heart and soul in Son of Rambow, and you can't discount the impact that has on something like that. What should be a generic coming-of-age film instead becomes a love letter to films, a loving portrait of a friendship, and something deeply hilarious and touching.

I have no idea how it all comes together so perfectly, but it does. Trying to understand why it works for me is probably hopeless, but I can say that I watch it with a big grin on my face every time, and it leaves me a lot happier when I'm done.

A joy of a film, and a reminder of why I love movies.