Delightfully charming and exceedingly enjoyable
It’s fantastic fest time again, and this is honestly one of the coolest festivals, not just within the genre of horror and paranormal film, but festivals in general. With its incredibly curated list of films, the venue being the Alamo Drafthouse in South Austin (which has become arguably a kind of epicenter of Austin’s bustling film industry). My first film for this year’s fest was Bookworm directed by Ant Timpson and starring Elijah Wood.
Bookworm is an adventure comedy exploring the themes of fatherhood and relationship repatriation set upon a healthy appetite for adventure.
Refreshingly, this movie is a New Zealand production. I found it extremely charming. Perfect family viewing, and more specifically for a father/daughter to see together. Nell Fisher, the little ‘Kiwi’ girl actress is a future star in the making and Elijah Wood was very funny, provoking genuine sympathy from me with his wimpy and fearful disposition. Unfortunately, and after all these years, I still kept seeing Frodo (Lord of the Rings) desperate to get the ring off of his neck every time we saw a close-up of Elijah in despair during this film. Clearly the poor man is still typecast as that undeniable legendary character of pop culture. A thespian doesn’t just shake off 12 years of playing a single character very easily, else typecasting wouldn’t be a thing.
I don’t remember ever seeing this before in a film or thought to do it, but the director decided to give us around 30 minutes of backstory, and then (when our protagonists arrive in the New Zealand countryside to begin their trek) he displays the title of the film while simultaneously opening up into panoramic/wide angle with gorgeous shots of mountains. I thought this to be incredibly impactful. It was as if he wanted to create this effect that we were somehow watching a stage production with actors in front of the curtain, and then once the basic plot foundations have been laid, the curtain opens up to reveal the main set… in this case, gorgeous New Zealand. It was a wonderful touch and really pulled the audience in effectively.
It is abundantly clear filmmaker Timpson and the cast must have had tremendous fun filming this movie. It’s delightfully charming and exceedingly enjoyable. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which allows the audience to really kick back and relax. There were many cute moments and lighthearted back-and-forth, but we also get to revel in the said repatriation of the relationship between Wood and young Fisher. A father and daughter that go through some trying times… trauma bonding… and whether they can come out on the other side crying in pain or tumbling on the floor with laughter.
This one can be enjoyed in the comfort of a home living room but a cinema outing will also be great!