Review of The Rocket (2013) by Sharon B — 17 Feb 2015

This Laos set effort balances crowdpleasing fantasy with a rich sense of place, and mostly pulls that tricky balancing act off. Australian director Kim Mordaunt was a former documentarian who spent a lot of time in Laos, and the film significantly benefits from someone so intimate with the country - the setting is one of tradition, natural beauty, superstition, corruption, class conflict (ironic for a Communist state) and dangerous unexploded bombs left over from 20th century wars.

It has an affection for its characters, but features a bittersweet realism lacking in a couple of other comparable efforts (Slumdog Millionaire, say). The tale itself - the journey of a young boy trying to shake off his grandmother's claim that he's cursed - does have a fantastical feelgood vibe, but it's more justified given the complex and at times quite provocative film that surround it.

A happy ending feels more 'earned' when the preceding narrative is one haunted by death and complex social contexts. It does come across as quite unevenly paced at times, and there's not a whole lot to any of the characters (performances are strong).

Or indeed the main story: you've seen it before - most recently, it's reminiscent of Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Selfish Giant (that particularly packs a greater punch). But above all it's refreshing to see generally unexplored cultures and settings portrayed so vividly on the big screen, and with a documentarian's eye ensuring it isn't bogged down by the often troubling shortcuts many Western filmmakers take when dealing with 'exotic' locales.