Children

Let me say that Children will hardly be a film for everyone.

Yet, as a boy in 1976 struggling with his own adolescence back then, Children, made in that same year, presented a perspective of my own life that hit so close to home. The loneliness, the hiding, the sense of shame about one's sexuality and the threats, at times real, often times imagined, of the bullying by other boys. Young Robbie Tucker (played by Phillip Mawdsley) comes off as almost catatonic at first. One might first attribute this to opening scenes where we see Robbie being bullied. Yet, as the film progresses, so too does our understanding and appreciation of Tucker's school and family struggles which are then interspersed with scenes of him as a young man. While perhaps dated, the film still resonates in way that all marginalized children in our 'advanced' Western society will easily relate to. For such a short film, Children packs a bigger wallop than many other like films.

This short black and white film "Children" offers several narrative surprises, and the entire cast is quite apt. One overriding theme is what might result when a person is bullied, ignored, or dismissed. The pace is a bit slow at times, but did not deter me. Several solemn scenes offer riveting dreamlike sensations, and the grain of the film really shines. I especially appreciate the two actors who portrayed the central character: young Robert is played by Phillip Mawdsley, and Robin Hooper offers a pensive study of twenty-something Robert. I'm fairly new in watching this director's films, and I plan to see the other 2 films in this trilogy.

"Children", available as part of Terence Davies Trilogy along with "Madonna & Child" and "Death & Transfiguration", is part one in the tale of Robert Tucker. Told in an artistic flashback style in ever fashionable black & white, Davies manages to confound the conventions of plot structure. Luckily, the summary on the video box let's you know that the story is told in flashbacks to Robert Tucker's childhood. Davies does do a good job of keeping the film's look undated. The only obvious clue to the film's time-frame is the ridiculous trousers worn by young adult Robert Tucker. As the viewer watches them flap in the breeze, it is clearly 1976. One highlight that may not appeal to everyone is an interesting shower scene at a swimming pool. The long shot followed by several medium shots gives a feeling of isolation. If you have a good eye, you will recognize a young Trevor Eve in a non speaking role as the "Man in Shower".