This is a beautiful coming-of-age film. It’s very close to biting Wes Anderson’s style (camerawork, editing, quirky dialogue, dark & melancholic undertones), but it doesn’t feel like an exact copy. The smart decisions made by the writing and strong creative decisions elevate the material a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it uses some of the classic tropes associated with coming-of-age films, but it twists them in interesting ways as the film goes along. The dialogue is stylized (e.g. no teenager actually talks like the main character of this movie) while still feeling emotionally truthful and authentic. The acting’s pretty solid across the board, maybe Paddy Considine should’ve dialed it back a little as he feels a bit too cartoonish. I also could’ve done without the narration, it’s too much of an exposition device, however I do recognize that it simultaneously adds character. Technically the film’s pretty great. Its cinematography and editing are beautiful, it captures the feeling of Wales very well. As for the music, I already knew I liked these songs being a fan of Alex Turner’s work, so I kinda wish they used more of it. All in all, this is unlikely to completely blow you away, but it’s really good at what it does.

7.5/10

Craig Roberts brings an engagingly mischievous charm to his role here as the pubescent teenager "Oliver". Like most of us at that age, he is obsessed with sex. "Jordana" (Yasmin Paige) is the object of his desires. Meantime, his mother "Jill" (Sally Hawkins) is having a bit of a crisis of her own with her rocky marriage to the well meaning but rather drippy "Lloyd" (Noah Taylor) being undermined by the arrival, next door of her ex-lover; the charismatic and way more hip "Graham" (Paddy Considine). The next ninety minutes or so see the young man try to manoeuvre his way into the arms of his beloved whilst simultaneously ensuring he torpedoes any chance of a reconciliation between his mum and her former beau. It's an ensemble effort, really. Roberts stands out, but the others all contribute well to this well and pithily written story of angst (for all ages). It's witty, sharp and offers us quite a recognisable glimpse of - quite frequently cringeworthy and embarrassing - family life where crises are never far from the corn flakes. You might never look at a giraffe the same way again... Well worth a watch, this - but perhaps not with your kids (or if you are friendly with the guy next door!).