ThiefHott Too much of everything

Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

nicholls_les One of the best films I have ever seen. It is beautiful in it's simplicity and although it deals with some serious issues, namely the racism that exists in Britain, it also has a good mix of pathos and humour. And of course you have to love the music, I dare anyone to try not to tap their feet at least. Delroy Lindo does a great job as a strong immigrant father experiencing the shock of discovering what England was really like, not the one his parents probably told him that it would be. Sam Smith plays his role with realism and balances the mixture of emotions well. I don't know if he really loves Cricket but he looked like he really did. Leonie Elliott is a delight and I can't understand why she has not done more, I saw her recently in the Lenny Henry semi-biopic, 'Danny and the human zoo' but as a young immigrant girl in this she is perfectly cast. I won't say to much but the Birthday party scene is very emotional.It is hard for me to find anything negative to say about this film and I recommend it to anyone, especially if you have had experience of moving to a different country, feeling the effects of racism or living among immigrants and experiencing the joy that they bring despite difficult circumstances. By the way you don't need to like Cricket to enjoy this film, this is not a sports film but more about community and family. One for the DVD collection for sure.

roland-104 What if you're a studio executive and I come to you to pitch my idea for a film? I tell you it's about adultery, racism and anti-Semitism. Oh, and, yes, I almost forgot: it's mainly a feel good, family friendly movie. You'd think I'm nuts, right? Well, could be, but in a nutshell that's what we have here in "Wondrous Oblivion," an audacious, charming little film in which heart trumps hate as people sort out a crisis in a working class London neighborhood.Set in the 1960s, the story concerns two immigrant families - one Jewish, the other Afro-Jamaican – interlopers in an otherwise traditional white Anglo neighborhood. The catalyst for action is eleven year old David Wiseman (Sam Smith), whose desire to excel in cricket is not matched by his bumbling play on the field. When the blacks move in, two doors down from the Wisemans, the neighborhood gossips crank up their whispered invective, but the newest family on the block presents a wondrous opportunity for David.The reason: as soon as the kitchenware is unboxed, Dennis (Delroy Lindo, one of my favorite actors) sets about erecting a tall net enclosing his entire rear yard so he can coach his daughter Judy (Leonie Elliott), David's age mate, to improve her cricket skills. Before long David makes friends with both and is included in the practices. His skills blossom, and soon he morphs from goat to hero on his boys' school team.Meanwhile, on David's home street, matters turn progressively nasty. Hate notes turn up in Dennis's mailbox, and, because the Wisemans have befriended the West Indians, for the first time after years of living there, they also begin to receive anti-Semitic hate notes. Complicating matters further, David's mother Ruth (Emily Woof), love starved at home, where her husband Victor (Stanley Townsend) is forever preoccupied with business issues, gets the hots for Dennis and pursues him.Can all of this end in anything other than pathos? By golly, the answer here is yes, though it requires of the viewer more than the usual degree of suspension of disbelief. Check out this gem of a film. You wonder why it has taken three years to find domestic theatrical distribution. But then the answer comes: the film no doubt lacks broad U.S. commercial appeal (its exclusive run here was at a neighborhood art house). The acting is terrific all around. Sam Smith, around whom the narrative stands or falls, is a quirky and entirely endearing youngster, and his turn succeeds completely. (In English & Hebrew) My grades: 8.5/10 (A-) (Seen on 12/18/06)

skarasen While this could never be considered a true masterpiece, as such, there's plenty going for it. Richly textured, this film goes beyond the realms of superficiality, reaching for a wider base in its coverage of the issues at hand. The relations between the people in the neighbourhood are at once entertaining, riveting and tense - causing the odd chuckle and plenty of lurching in the stomach. The racial tensions and the unnerving line that is drawn between the events and other racial notables in history such as apartheid and the Nazi regime makes this a superb watch - there is one particularly chilling scene (that I will not divulge) that sends a massive shiver down the spine of the viewer. The characterisation is what really makes this film in terms of the actual watching of it, and no character is left without something to analyse on - making it an excellent English film text. Overall, a superb example of cinematic beauty.

mayer01 Evidently, this movie has not yet found a US distributor. I was lucky enough to see it as part of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. I have to say that I enjoyed it more than any other movie I have seen in recent memory. It totally captivated me. The story, characters, setting, values, personal relationships, acting, sports aspect - all were interesting, well done, unique and such a good cohesive film. This was a fresh approach that didn't draw me into the clichés, dead time and old themes of so many movies. If I could, I would go see this again soon. I only hope it reaches US markets so I can send my friends. Marsha