The Six Dollar Fifty Man (2009) User Reviews

A beautiful, witty and original film

[bellabeebex · 10/10 · 14 December 2010]

I saw this film in a festival recently and it is without a doubt one of the best short films I have ever seen. While stories from a child's perspective seem to be quite common in short films worldwide, The Six Dollar Fifty Man goes far beyond the tropes of this genre and delivers a script that is both witty and original and Oscar Vandy Connor as Andy is a revelation, utterly convincing and empathetic, and unlike any other child actor you are likely to see in cinema today. From the opening shot you are absolutely hooked, a tribute to the sublime direction and cinematography. This is as close as you will ever get to seeing a perfect short film. If you have the opportunity to see it, take it. It'll stay with you for a long long time.

Great Film - A Real Surprise

[barbs-crane · 9/10 · 14 January 2011]

What a fantastic film, reminding me of my little brother thinking he himself was Batman as a child. A truly wonderful film set when I myself was a child which made it even more entertaining taking me back to my own childhood. The setting of New Zealand was magnificent .Oscar, who played Andy was so convincing that it brought tears to my eyes. This is an inspirational story to thousands of other children, who, like Andy and his friend are bullied. This was a great story with so much content packed into such a short time you actually felt you had just watched a feature length film. I come from England and didn't know New Zealand had such terrific talent, apart from the Lord of the Rings of course.

Amazing time machine back to my own childhood!

[InstantKiwi · 12 January 2011]

I saw 'the Six Dollar Fifty Man' at the NZ International film festival last year and was instantly transported back to my own childhood in the 1970's. The six million dollar man was the hot toy in the seventies that I always wanted (but my brother got it from Santa instead - life ruined!). 8 year old Oscar Vandy-Connor is a revelation as the lead actor, he channels the great method actors in his portrayal of Andy, an 8 year old dreamer dealing with bullies in sleepy 1970's New Zealand. An amazing brooding performance that is a tribute to the talented filmmakers & Oscar! The film has a much deserved Oscar nomination - So Oscar could be getting an Oscar!! - Go see it!

Beautiful, superb short.... and a question

[luig22 · 10/10 · 2 November 2013]

I absolutely LOVE this piece of cinema. Must be one of the best I've ever seen.

I enjoyed the film so much, I wouldn't care about this, but me and my brother had an argument and I haven't cleared it out of my head...

--SPOILERS---

My brother says Andy cannot read. That is why he doesn't read the note when the girl hands it to him. I say he is shy and cannot find anything to say (but CAN read)

My brother thinks that is ALSO why Andy hands the little girl's note to the headmaster. The headmaster feels sorry for him not being able to read, and decides to give him a chance.

I understand that maybe he cannot read, but not being able to tell apart the little girl's handwriting from the teacher's (which also wrote a note on a similar piece of paper)? That doesn't seem likely. Its not about reading, it's about telling one handwriting from the other.

In the end, Andy gives a note to the girl. The one that the teacher wrote. Even though it makes sense that he cannot read, why would he want the little girl to read the teacher's note? And his triumphant grin in the end...

To me, the reading by the little girl of the note that got him "in trouble", is him telling her, "look, I got in trouble for you. I got on the roof to get the ball you kicked, and I did it for you, and i got in trouble, and I got "smacked', but I'm OK. It was for you"..

Dunno if I'm making any sense, but that's about it. What are your thoughts?

Narrative left me cold but the child performances and the general rough feel of the film worked well

[bob the moo · 5 April 2014]

Young boy Andy is a bit of an outsider as he lives in a fictional world of superheroes, specifically that of the Six Million Dollar Man. A friendship with a girl in his class and a confrontation with bullies sees him broken out of this world and into reality.

Filmed in New Zealand this rough and ready little short has a decent plot but not one that fully scanned with me in terms of the motivations of the characters to do what they did. This was the case with the girl and also with the headmaster, although the latter was perhaps more obvious. The acting is what made it stand out for me because the child cast are very strong – specifically Vandy-Connor in the lead role. He is natural, filled with anger and very confident in front of the camera. It must have been hard work to get this from him but the directors did a good job. The film also looks good and has a certain rough honesty to how it feels, but I personally didn't really feel a connection with the narrative, even though I appreciated what the film did well around that.