A STORY OF CHILDREN AND FILM
Cert PG
105 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild language and scenes of emotional upset
Blimey, I thought I had commitment to watching movies and had a reasonable knowledge of them.
Mark Cousins proves that I am a mere novice scratching the surface of an art form which is clearly deeper than I had ever imagined,
Cousins' documentary provides a history of the importance of children in movies from the 1930s until the present day.
He analyses the common themes both of the pictures but also of children's personalities, ranging from innocence to loneliness and fear.
Cousins also examines the reaction of his own young nephew and niece to a home camera and demonstrates how their natural instincts are often the same as those on screen.
To prove his points, he selects from scores of films, including two of my favourites: ET and Night Of The Hunter.
But what really makes his film stand out is the breadth of countries he covers (there is even a clip from Burkina Faso) and the incredible detail he imparts during his description.
In fact, Cousins' poetic use of language put me to shame. He has a rich vocabulary and yet he never loses his audience by being too obscure.
From hugely famous child stars Shirley Temple and Margaret O'Brien to those of the present day, Cousins find deep links which, as a huge film fan, I found fascinating.
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 8/10