Whoa, I was not prepared for how emotional this made me. It made me miss my mother who is going through some scary serious physical ailments. She is in Canada, and Covid has made it so I haven't seen her in 3.5 years. I was labeled gifted as a child, and I felt so profoundly the mysteries of the world explored here as well as how significantly the child-parent relationship is affected by them.
It also made me miss my…
Many of my favorite films are about childhood so I was quite drawn to viewing this narrative through the lens of a child. In this way, I experienced it vicariously through my own memories and the great performance of Jude Hill. This was definitely heightened by Branagh's loving gaze at both the boy and cinema itself. Still, wonderful cast aside, it did feel just a tad too romantized for me to rate it higher.
This film is much like seeing an art masterpiece at a museum. I can recognize the amazing craft, the historical references, the surprising break from the known, the elegance and beauty in the work, and yet, if it doesn't engage my heart, leaves me impressed but ultimately cold.
Caveat: My mom was just 21 when she had me and 22 when she had my sister. She was a single parent for us from the time I was 3-14. She was on welfare until I was 7.
I say all this because this film wrecked me. It is so non-judgmental and allows reality to breathe all the while capturing childhood in all its gritty innocence. This is an America that I am acutely aware of and which is too…
