VeteranLight
I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Bob
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
paul2001sw-1
'The Scouting Book for Boys' tells the story of a teenage boy who helps a girl he fancies run away from home. Ultimately, the unidirectionality of that relationship is to have dire consequences. In many ways, it reminded me of the sort of novels I used to write: the problem is, my novels weren't very good. So you have a naive protagonist; conflicts of interest at first hidden or ignored, later painfully apparent; stylised minor characters who ultimately seem more like the embodiment of ideas rather than real flesh and blood; and a plot that makes sense in outline but doesn't quite hold up in practice, in part because the protagonists seem to be stretched to fulfil its demands, instead of the story feeling like the entirely natural consequence of who the protagonists are. The film is set in north Norfolk: an attractive coast, but I didn't get a profound sense of place from how this movie is shot. The reliably excellent Thomas Turgoose does what he can with the material, but is limited by the lack of depth in the story. In fact, this isn't an awful movie; but it feels like a first time effort, and less than the potential sum of its parts.
Theo Robertson
Film4 have been showing " The British Connection " which is a euphemistic title for British made film productions devoid of American funding . While this might be well and good to a degree what it does is show up the fault of British film making:producing films that are unable to shake off the feeling that they're television productions rather cinematic ones and sharing the same visual style THE SCOUTING BOOK FOR BOYS is a case in point . This was shown immediately after Shane Meadow's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MIDLANDS and you'd be forgiven for thinking both films share the same director . Much of this is down to the cinematography where everything is brightly lit the colour yellow is rather prominent . In fact many of the films being shown such as LAYER CAKE and KILL LIST also have this visual look ( Though Matthew Vaughn style did make LAYER CAKE cinematic ) which led me to believe the same cinematographer was responsible for all the movies featured. I was shocked to learn this was not the case There's also a similar type of feel to the narrative . It's poignant , bitter-sweet and not entirely plausible . At the risk of sounding repetitive while reviewing these type of Brit flicks I was reminded of these PLAY FOR TODAY that were getting broadcast on a weekly basis by the BBC in the 1970s . Unsurprisingly both the director and screenwriter have a background in television In that case I won't be too critical because there does seem to be an element of the film being produced as a cinematic calling card by the director and obviously the budget is always going to be a worry in this type of production . That said there needs to be something stronger in order to grab the audience having a conveyor belt of British movies being broadcast on a channel means any viewer with a brain will quickly notice how similar contemporary films from this country are
Sindre Kaspersen
English-born director Tom Harper's feature film debut which was written by English screenwriter Jack Thorne, was shot on various locations in Norfolk, England and premiered at the 57th San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2009. It is a UK production which was produced by Christian Colson and Ivana MacKinnon. It tells the story about David who lives on his own at a caravan park by the coast in the low-lying county of Norfolk. David spends most of his time with Emily, a same-aged girl who acts older than she really is and who lives with her mother. David and Emily share a unique bond and are in some ways like inseparable siblings, but their friendship is put to the ultimate test when they learn that Emily has to leave the caravan park to go and live with her father. Instead of coming to terms with Emily's parents decision, they plot out a way to prevent it from happening and has Emily hiding in a cave nearby. Initially their plan works out fine, but when Emily's mother and a security guard named Steve begins to worry that Emily has gone missing, the police are contacted and Emily tells David a secret that changes his perception of Emily and their relationship. Finely and acutely directed by first-time filmmaker Tom Harper, this well-paced and compassionately narrated fictional tale which is told from the protagonist's point of view, draws an intimate and intriguing portrayal of an unconditional friendship that evolves into an emotional conflict. While notable for its atmospheric milieu depictions and the fine cinematography by cinematographer Robbie Ryan, this character-driven and narrative-driven thriller contains some profound scenes between the two main characters, a brilliant score by English-born television, theatre and film composer Jack C. Arnold and examines themes like coming-of-age, friendship, family relations, love and jealousy. This somewhat romantic psychological drama which depicts a gripping and internal study of character, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, the understated and involving acting performances by English actor Thomas Turgoose, English actress Holliday Grainger in her second feature film role and the fine supporting acting performances by English actor Rafe Spall and Northern Irish actress Susan Lynch. A compelling independent film which gained the award for Best British Newcomer Jack Thorne at the 58th BFI London Film Festival in 2009.
ajs-10
I remember hearing about this film when it came out, as I recall, it got a pretty good reception. On the strength of this I decided to give it a viewing. It's quite hard to put down in words the feelings that are brought forth by this British made coming of age tale of love and loss. This one can really get to you if you're in the mood for it. I thought it was very good and that the young actors involved were really excellent.Emily and David are teenagers, they both live at a caravan park on the Norfolk (England) coast. They are like brother and sister, inseparable. One day Emily hears that she is going to have to go and live with her father. This changes everything for David, his feelings for her may run deeper than he is prepared to admit. The following day Emily disappears and David is the first one they call on to find out where she is. Of course he denies all knowledge and they focus on Steve, the security guard at the park. Little do they know that David and Emily have hatched a plan to hide her so she doesn't have to go and live with her father. Unfortunately things don't go according to plan and, as time passes, David finds out things about Emily that he wishes he didn't know. I can't tell you what it is as I don't want to spoil it for you.There are some great songs in the soundtrack from the band 'Noah and the Whale', and a nice score by Jack C. Arnold. It's a very well made film with some really nice cinematography. I particularly liked the use of close-ups. As I said earlier, the two young actors involved are truly excellent. Holliday Grainger as Emily is every bit the young teenage tom-boy she portrays and Thomas Turgoose does an excellent job as the love-lorne David. Also, an honourable mention goes to Rafe Spall as Steve.I really liked this film. It has a very measured style that gently takes you along the path of this bittersweet tale. It's unmistakably English and I think it works better for that, playing on your emotions right up until the rather tragic ending. It's not perfect, the pacing seems a little bit off in places and I felt that some of the characters were a little bit too larger than life, but over all, I liked it. So, if you're prepared for a bit of an emotional ride with a couple of great performances in a very well shot film, then I can definitely recommend this one to you.My Score: 7.3/10
