A baby actor steals each scene from Elijah Wood, and now he is aware of why Adam Baldwin was so upset in ‘Radio Flyer.’
The twenty eighth version of the Fantasia International Film Festival runs July 18th to August 4th in stunning Montreal, Quebec. Follow together with our protection here.
In the long run, when your robotic overlords demand you act out for his or her enjoyment the film the place Elijah Wood wanders throughout rural New Zealand on a magical journey with a hoop on his finger whereas going through off in opposition to thieves and wild beasts, you’re going to must ask them to elaborate just a bit bit extra. Bookworm is each bit the flipside of The Hobbit‘s epic scale with its sweet, silly little tale of a father and daughter reunion, and it succeeds with that modest ambition on the strength of its charm, performances, and natural landscapes.
Mildred (Nell Fisher) is a curious and smart eleven-year-old who tends to keep everyone at a distance. She’s pressured to simply accept a change, although, when an accident leaves her mom within the hospital and her estranged, and unusual, American father arrives to assist. Strawn Wise (Wood) is a magi–err, illusionist by commerce, and he comes carrying methods up his sleeve and a grudge on his shoulder in the direction of a sure David Blaine. Desperate to earn her love and respect, Strawn agrees to take her tenting deep within the wilderness seeking the legendary Canterbury Panther, a big black cat rumored to be stalking the countryside. It’s not lengthy earlier than the challenges start to mount, and shortly these two loners will uncover that possibly having somebody by your facet isn’t that unhealthy in any case.
Bookworm comes from a wealthy cinematic historical past of movies about folks, misplaced or in any other case, discovering themselves on shared walks by means of the woods. The concentrate on an grownup and a baby aligns it most intently with two legit classics in Peter Collinson’s The Earthling (1980) and Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), set, curiously sufficient, in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. Like these films, Bookworm pairs a reluctant mother or father determine with a baby in want, however whereas the tip result’s a pleasant household movie, it by no means comes near the emotion of The Earthling or the large laughs of Wilderpeople.
Timpson and author Toby Harvard completely need those self same highs, and there’s an effort made to mine each emotional peaks and large laughs even when they by no means actually seem. The coronary heart is obvious, however whereas the movie’s fashionable quirks discover a sensory enchantment, they make it tougher to land feelings with the meant sincerity. Things are heightened simply sufficient, from the CG panther to the exchanges between father and daughter that steadily appear a bit overwritten, and it leaves the plain heat moments a bit muted by the humor. To that time, the humor itself feels equally low-key that means neither component actually shines.
But right here’s the factor, at the same time as Bookworm struggles to ship large, unforgettable beats and feels, it completely worms its manner into your coronary heart with smaller, softer moments between father and daughter. Timpson and Harvard lay the groundwork, however its Wood and Fisher who carry the burden of the movie’s success. Wood walks a high-quality line with a unusual character, balancing the goofy weirdness of a third-rate illusionist with the humanity and pathos sitting slightly below the nail polish and occasion methods. It’s Fisher, although, who steals the present with a efficiency that’s equal elements precocious and weak. She has a solution for all the pieces, however seeing her defend of information and sarcasm fall away to disclose the little lady beneath reveals a proficient little heartbreaker.
It’s an surprising left flip seeing Timpson transfer past his twisted, blackly comedian filmography — along with directing Come to Daddy (2019), he’s additionally a producer on movies like Housebound (2014), Deathgasm (2015), and Mister Organ (2022) — to ship a pleasant little household movie like Bookworm. It’s a great time, and Daniel Katz‘s cinematography does double duty highlighting the utter and absolute beauty of New Zealand. Sure, it’s light-weight, but it surely’ll have you ever smiling, and that’s no small factor.
The twenty eighth version of the Fantasia International Film Festival runs July 18th to August 4th in stunning Montreal, Quebec. Follow together with our protection here.
Related Topics: Ant Timpson, Elijah Wood, Fantasia Film Festival
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