The Yorkshire landscape is lovingly depicted in this film in all its raw, singular beauty. It is this aspect of the film, along with the performance of the young boy playing Tom, that stood out the most for me. The relationship that forms between the young boy and the ranger, Al, is a touching one and adds moments of poignancy.
However, I found some of the performances amateurish, which detracted from the emotional impact of the film. Also, the supremely wealthy bank manager was a less than believable caricature. Surely it is the fact that such institutions are faceless and anonymous that makes them so dehumanising and callous. The scene that involved the bank manager was a lazy, heavy-handed way of drawing comparisons between the powerful and the powerless.
The main source of the film's success is due to the performance of the young boy playing Tom, which is natural, nuanced and thoughtful.
However, I found some of the performances amateurish, which detracted from the emotional impact of the film. Also, the supremely wealthy bank manager was a less than believable caricature. Surely it is the fact that such institutions are faceless and anonymous that makes them so dehumanising and callous. The scene that involved the bank manager was a lazy, heavy-handed way of drawing comparisons between the powerful and the powerless.
The main source of the film's success is due to the performance of the young boy playing Tom, which is natural, nuanced and thoughtful.