A London of two halves. One is the upper reaches of society and comes from money and the other, the lower classes likely lad that has dirt on his face and sunshine in his heart. When two friends, Daniel and Ornshaw cross this divide and become friends it might be okay. However when Daniel falls in love with Melody and wants to get married at 11, it is not acceptable to society. Ornshaw is jealous and wants to keep his friend. School though is a tough place and for these two, even more so. When they try to not involve the families, it gets worse. Tricky job for them but if anyone can, they can…
Happy go lucky joys are to be found in a film that is both fun and tender. It has been labelled cult but that should be more, unseen gem not subversive classic. They film plays on that very British joy of growing up on film. It plays on the absurd British way of evolving from a child into a teenager as the season of a year flows. It plays on class without being mean spirited and develops a warm, yet honest world of London prior to the 80s boom and bust of Thatcher and co. In a word it is a worthy watch…
Parker script is well rounded. Hussein directs with a sense and eye of a film maker that wants to know the two and not just tell the story. Puttnam is best when he tells stories of unexceptionally, exceptional people and things. His producing skill is to open this to a creative eye like Hussein to explore. The cast are funny and the leads are like a ramshackle pairing that recall film masterpieces like Hue and Cry and Kes.
Extras.
Interviews add texture and the transfer looks clean without making it so as to be unreal.
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