The Bracelet of Bordeaux

There is one good lesson to be learned from this film -- for prospective screenwriters: if this movie got made, then any movie can be made.

Miss Carson and Miss Edwards are enjoyable to watch but the story, the characterizations and the staging of scenes would earn no better than a D minus at any respectable film school.

Viewers aged in the high single digits will have little patience for this movie.

If you're looking for something worthwhile for your kid, give them something meaningful, such as "The Ballet Shoes" or even a "Roxy Hunter."

I think this is the first B-movie that is family oriented, but that is what it is. My 7 and 5 year-old watched it all of the way through. It's run time is 99 minutes. I found nothing objectionable in this PG rated movie. It's got an OK story, but I found the accents of Grandmere and her grand daughter hard to understand. It is now showing up on DVD around the local movie stores and you should know that while it is entertaining, there's nothing spectacular here either. The video appears to be non-film, but I could be wrong about that; as if it was shot digitally. I didn't recognize any of the actors in the film. The plot has been done many times before; dog-napping ring and there are mafia references.

Fm: Frank Eakin, Producer

Below you will find excerpts from four reviews, written by professional journalists and critics:

THE BRACELET OF BORDEAUX REVIEWS

By Greg Flakus, Voice of America

(10.26.06)

"Looking for some light, fun and engaging entertainment for the whole family? The Bracelet of Bordeaux is your ticket. This film has all the elements of a mystery drama, plus chuckles aplenty for both kids and their parents. The story revolves around the adventures of two pre-teen girls and their dogs. There are bad guys from the mafia and Punk scene, and even a nasty old neighbor lady, but the girls prevail thanks to a bit of magic and a lot of pluck. The Bracelet of Bordeaux is likely to become a family favorite for years to come."

By David Dow Bentley III, The People's Critic

(www.ThePeoplesCritic.com 10.24.06----People's Critic Archive 10.24.06)

"It is widely recognized that Hollywood is under-nourishing our nation's youth when it comes to supplying wholesome, entertaining films with general family appeal. If my recent viewing of the final cut print of THE BRACELET OF BORDEAUX is any clue, relief is on the way from Texas-based Eakin Films. The magical adventures of young Helen, her adorable dog, Rufus, and her best friend Marie, comprise an amusing and mysterious tale that is promising to captivate both young and old. Have we found the female Harry Potter? Eakin looks poised to give the folks at Disney a run for their money. Brace yourself for BRACELET fun!!! "

By Howie Doyle, Editor, That Texas Magazine (December, 2006)

"A delightful, locally produced, independent film.... The storyline has been likened to the Harry Potter series, and in fact doesn't stray far from the formula that Spielberg mined with E.T., which has spawned thousands of hours of fantastic and heartwarming cinematic entertainment in the last 25 years. And like the best of these movies, The Bracelet of Bordeaux, which runs just over an hour and a half, comes up with enough belly laughs and light drama to keep parents entertained as well."

By Gary Brown, Reviewer, The Villager (December 21, 2006)

"Considering the relatively low budget, I was most impressed with the near Disney Channel-like quality of the production. The photography, musical score, and special effects are all superb, but more importantly the movie features a great kid-friendly script with an underlying theme about friendship....The acting in the film, particularly the young performers, is quite good."

Hilarious is the operative term for THE BRACELET OF BORDEAUX.

It is a fast-paced, fanciful film that offers a nudge-wink mix of slapstick, irony, and withering social satire about "Chem City," Texas. Adults and children alike laughed long and hard at the showing I attended, with nary a mean-spirited gag in sight.

The quality I liked best about BRACELET was its overarching emphasis on the importance of choosing -- and keeping -- the right kinds of friends. Although clearly aimed at kids, the film has both a sense of humor and message adults would benefit by heeding.

Thank goodness the filmmakers chose to emphasize fantasy over realism. Is anyone besides me tired of films that fail to take advantage of the nearly boundless theatricality and visual creativity the medium allows? Without giving away the plot, I can say that a form of magic, with roots in an important period of contemporary world history, plays a pivotal role in the development of the story.

Equally refreshing was the use of believable, average-looking child actors, playing characters resembling real kids. Again, is anyone besides me tired of movies that present children as tiny, physically idealized, wise-cracking adults? Speaking of wisecracks, I liked the way the film's abundant humor sprang not from one-liners or clichés, but from the wild images on the screen or the irony of the situations orchestrated by the script.

Since I knew this was an independent film shot on a shoestring, I was surprised by the quality of the production. The photography was professional, as were the sets, costumes and props. Effects were high-quality, and acting was top-rate. I give extra points to the adult actors who portrayed the marionettes behind the juvenile-delinquent puppets. Sal's role added necessary weight to the plot, while the scenes featuring him and his hapless toady added levity to the proceedings with their straight-faced absurdity.

In reading background on the film, I learned that BRACELET is the first by Frank Eakin and that it was so low-budget it was practically no-budget. The information begs the question: Has digital technology made film a truly democratic art form? The success of THE BRACELET OF BORDEAUX is enough to make believers out of the most stalwart doubters in the power of digital video technology.

This movie has gotten very positive reviews in the local press and from a national critic. My expectations were high, and they were fully met. We attended the movie because it stars a cute Papillon (I have two) and kids who love mystery adventures. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and the performances were excellent.

My girl and boy loooved it. It was filled with many chuckles for both kids and parents. In order to understand the performances, you had to understand the type of humor and off-beat nature of the characters. The kids seemed to get it, as they laughed often and clapped enthusiastically at the end of the movie.

The headline of the review from a tough movie critic in today's The Villager was "The Bracelet of Bordeaux Works Like a Charm". I agree.