Lembranças de Abril

I really enjoyed the film. I thought the actors were very believable and I laughed and cried with them as the story unfolded. I found it a good vehicle to begin a discussion with my grandchildren of the history of one of the most shameful things our country had done in our treatment of the Japanese during this time period. I wish the film had been longer. There were times that the continuity was missing and I had to wonder how we got to the current point. Since I have the video, I replayed some scenes.

Film brings to life a very bad point in our history, the internment of Americans of Japanese descent. Excellent performances by all 4 kids also showed that not all soldiers on the enemy side were monsters. It could have used a *LITTLE* balance (e.g. references to the atrocities being committed that caused the sentiment that the film shows), but the point made in the film was quite valid regardless. Recommended.

This is a well-crafted and pleasant film - telling the growing up of four American childhood friends just after the attack on Pearl Harbour. While the four friends are consumed by playing being soldiers, a Japanese submariner washes ashore their beach. Initially thinking to become heroes, the boys detain the seriously wounded soldier. But is he truly an enemy of everything they hold dear?

Really fulfilling my admittedly optimistic expectation, April did not only turn out to be a wonderful tale of youth friendship, but also a pretty nice drama as well. The film - during many moments - brought back memories of Richard Donner's (and as far as I'm concerned Spielberg's) The Goonies. Growing up with friends, participating in a grand and exciting adventure, trying to do good. This is what April is about as well. While not ignoring to include sentimental scenes, the film skillfully prevents presenting huge clichés. The moments that were supposed to be powerful in the film work well. And besides being enjoyable and powerful, the film also manages to supply an important and true message as well.

The casting could not have been more wonderful. We are given a cast of four great kids, including a very impressive Trevor Morgan and star-becoming Haley Joel Osment. Morgan absolutely shines as the kid who's dealing with some scars of war, and he is fantastic in more than just a couple of scenes. He makes one very moving sequence in the film work truly well. Osment is giving a solid yet relatively small show as well - his character is of less importance in this story, but he's indeed rather memorable as Morgan's buddy.

While the story basically centers around the four boys and their Japanese 'prisoner', there are powerful other characters around as well. One of the boys' relatives, played by the late and wonderful Pat Morita, and Morgan's character's father have good screen presence.

As mentioned, April is a coming of age story packed with some dramatic elements, yet it remains light and easily viewable. Backed by a decent enough score, the film manages to touch the heart without any doubt. Probably Morgan's best role as a child actor, and one of Osment's cool early appearances on the silver screen, I'll Remember April is a must-see for fans of the genre. Growing up couldn't have been more fun.

Highly recommended.

Interesting indie that barely got released anywhere (and probably was slapped crudely onto disc to capitalize on the sudden fame of one of it's juvenile players...despite being the focus of cover art and billing Haley Joel Osment has a supporting role...and looks to be a bit younger and a LOT blonder than he was in "The Sixth Sense" and he is NOT prominently featured here.).

Well meaning and at times moving depiction of broken lives of about to be interred American born Japanese descended citizens is rather uncomfortably with far fetched fantasy of 4 boys becoming best buddies with a wounded and stranded Japanese sailor. Some very good work from a surprisingly strong cast hints that this could have been a quite interesting film with a better detailed script and a much bigger budget...(the film as it stands seems about four fifths finished with a temp track score and a very strangely shot ending).

If you do pick it up on disc as a curio (thank you for offering it DAEDELUS BOOKS!) I would strongly advise NOT watching the trailer before seeing the film...It gives away about ninety per cent of the plot!

This movie, set in a Pacific coast town in the early days of WWII, is about war and stereotypes and racism. It's also about kindness and loyalty and small heroic acts performed by ordinary people. The main character is a boy, played beautifully by Trevor Morgan, who is dealing simultaneously with fears about his brother's fate as a soldier in battle, the impending loss of his best friend to the shameful internment of Japanese-American citizens, and his involvement with a marooned Japanese sailor who saves him from drowning. Morgan handles the complicated role with aplomb, and even manages not to be upstaged by Haley Joel Osment, which is no mean feat in itself! If I were introducing this period of history to students, from junior high to undergraduate school, I can think of no better kickoff than showing "I'll Remember April" along with "Snow Falling on Cedars" as companion pieces to stimulate serious thought and discussion.