Premise: A sheltered young student makes friends with the school bully. They share a passion for the Stallone film First Blood, leading to a mix of adventure, trial, and growth for both.
Stars: Bill Milner * Will Poulter * Jules Sitruk
Story: Will Proudfoot (Milner) is a shy student at school, and lives under the umbrella of his mother, a member of the strict, conservative Plymouth Brethren sect. Due to an accident at school, he is sent to the school's office, where he meets Lee Carter (Poulter) the school bully and troublemaker. Will pays Carter to take the blame for the accident after the bully plays on the fears of the shy student as to what physical harm is inflicted by the Headmistress.
Will and Carter become acquaintances and Carter convinces Will to take part in his attempt at remaking the Stallone action flick, First Blood. Carter takes on the role of Trautman as Will enthusiastically approaches the role of the Son of Rambo in order to escape his repressed home life.
While creating their film, the two bond as they have little outside relationships - Carter only has a brother, while Will's family life is stilted under the influence of the Brethren and his mother's new suitor. The duo are joined by French exchange student Didier (Sitruk) joins the duo, seeking something 'thrilling' in 'boring old England' - and the troupe that follows Didier's antics, turning the small film attempt into a full amateur production.
The introduction of the new element into the boys' friendship causes resentment and friction, leading to conflict.
Review: The trailers for the film focus solely on the humorous elements of the movie, which does a huge disservice to it. The film concentrates on following the friendship between Will Proudfoot and Lee Carter, from the moments before they meet to the end of the film.
The movie establishes that both come from dysfunctional families: Carter's mother is never present, off with her new husband, leaving Carter with his older brother who is neglectful in his attention. Proudfoot's mother is dealing with the impact the Plymouth Brethren's conservative and strict stance is having on her children, as well as a new suitor who is trying to put Will "in line". This places both boys outside their respective worlds and almost alone.
The performances are delightful - Poulter and Milner have an easy chemistry and their interactions with each other and with their families are believable and understandable. Milner's transformation from shy, quiet schoolboy to exuberant over-actor is nice to watch. Poulter's equal move from hardass bully and con-man to an emotionally exposed loyal friend is also rewarding to see.
While the direction of the movie may be predictable - there are only so many plotlines in the world after all - the road that the audience travels to get to the finale is rewarded with the presence of the two boys and their enthusiasm for their dreams and their friendship with each other. The introduction of the French student at first seems unconnected to the main plot, but of course, threads are tied together and Will & Lee's friendship is tested to the limit.
The only drawback is the very predictable "fish out of water" parable tacked on at the end of the movie. However, it still doesn't remove the warm feeling one gets from watching the central friendship grow.
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
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