By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Paul Morrison
Starring: Delroy Lindo | Emily Woof | Sam Smith
Country: germany, united_kingdom
Year: 2006
Running time: 106
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338564/combined
Michael says: “In the tradition of feel-good films like BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM or BILLY ELLIOT combined, WONDROUS OBLIVION shows us our collective prejudices but allows us to overcome them in a slightly formulaic, but ultimately more successful film than many. WONDROUS OBLIVION is about racism, cultural differences, and cricket. Not since LAGAAN has a film featured cricket so thoroughly.
“David Wiseman is a ten-year-old British lad, born to German-Jewish parents in 1960-England. The family is barely tolerated in the WASPy, middle-class neighborhood but David doesn’t notice. All he cares about is cricket. He has hundreds of trading cards featuring cricket players, he’s got impeccable whites and equipment to wear, his attitude is there, as is his willingness to listen to his coach, even if that means he spends most of his time keeping score. David is a straight-A student, but he’s a terrible cricket player. David’s mother, Ruth, is young. She longs to fit in and avoid the distrustful stares of her neighbors, just as she longs as some attention from her husband, who is consumed with keeping a steady income at the fabric store where he works.
“Everything changes when an extended family from Jamaica moves into the adjoining flat. Suddenly the neighbors have something more distasteful on their block, and Ruth suddenly finds herself on the right side of the fence, so long as she shuns the new Jamaican family along with he rest of the neighborhood. The problem is, Ruth knows what it’s like to be an immigrant, and on that wrong side of the fence. When the Jamaican family builds a small cricket/practice court in their backyard, David is mesmerized, and despite his parents’ protests, he finds himself being trained by Dennis, the new family’s patriarch, and his daughter Loretta, who happens to be the same age as David. Slowly both David and Ruth find themselves drawn to Dennis, and in David’s case, Loretta, but, of course, as is the way of movies, things do not progress smoothly. As David’s cricket skills grow, and he finds himself on the school cricket team, he hurts Loretta deeply by shunning her when his teammates are over celebrating his birthday. Ruth and Dennis foster a growing, mutual attraction, and after an embarrassingly aborted attempt to connect physically, Ruth pulls away.
“The racial prejudice in the neighborhood grows to a fiery climax, followed by a lesson of tolerance and a happy ending. Despite this seemingly telegraphed storyline, writer/director Paul Morrison (SOLOMON AND GAENOR) treats his characters with dignity and feeling. Emily Woof gives a terrific performance as Ruth, and Delroy Lindo manages the somewhat saintly role of Dennis well. Young Petra Letang is natural and beguiling as Loretta, and Sam Smith handles his central role of David with an ease that belies his young age.
“I’ve often said, “Just because a movie makes me cry, doesn’t mean it’s good.” WONDROUS OBLIVION isn’t a great film, and it did make me cry, but it’s definitely a joy to watch. It reminded me of NOWHERE IN AFRICA with its straightforward story and strong performances, and also of HOPE & GLORY with its British period whimsy. 3 ½ cats.”
This film was shown at the Boston Jewish Film Festival.