Bill is your average young boy, living in London with his parents and two sisters. His should be a conventional childhood but it is September 1939 and the UK is at war with Germany. In the next few years Bill will grow up with the fear and devastation of war, but also some fond memories.
An original interesting take on the childhood experiences drama, showing a boy growing up in wartime. Written and directed by John Boorman (Deliverance, Excalibur, Hell in the Pacific, among others), the film largely draws upon Boorman's own experiences of growing up in England during WW2.
Wonderfully bitter-sweet in how we see the fear, tragedy, disruption and devastation of war on one hand and the innocence and adventures of youth and the making of childhood memories on the other. Some very funny scenes and also some tragic ones, all mixed in with the usual day to day goings-on of life.
While it is interesting and engaging, it does lack focus and a profound ending. I don't mind films that are about the journey rather than the destination but this did feel like it needed something at the end to tie everything together. There's a few sub-plots going on that ultimately don't add anything to the film: a good wrap-up was sorely needed.
An original interesting take on the childhood experiences drama, showing a boy growing up in wartime. Written and directed by John Boorman (Deliverance, Excalibur, Hell in the Pacific, among others), the film largely draws upon Boorman's own experiences of growing up in England during WW2.
Wonderfully bitter-sweet in how we see the fear, tragedy, disruption and devastation of war on one hand and the innocence and adventures of youth and the making of childhood memories on the other. Some very funny scenes and also some tragic ones, all mixed in with the usual day to day goings-on of life.
While it is interesting and engaging, it does lack focus and a profound ending. I don't mind films that are about the journey rather than the destination but this did feel like it needed something at the end to tie everything together. There's a few sub-plots going on that ultimately don't add anything to the film: a good wrap-up was sorely needed.