Tom et Thomas

I'm a huge fan of Sean Bean - from his snarly villains to his hero/anti-hero roles - and I'm working through all of his films one by one. It's a pleasure to see him play an ordinary man coping with loss and a rambunctious son who has an "imaginary" friend. Sean is tender and bemused and distracted and hits every note of perplexing parenthood just right. I do wish he'd play more of these sympathetic roles - in fact, I think he could do comedy quite beautifully, but that might be the die-hard fan in me talking. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is wonderful in his first film role and cleverly switches accents and characters with great ease. Inday Ba was a find for me too - believable and stunning - what a shame she passed away in 2005. The villains have just the right amount of sleaze and downright evil to make you want to boo out loud. The film made me smile and was such an unexpected pleasure that I really would like to give it a 7.5. Too bad it wasn't more widely released.

I watched this on a rainy afternoon in full expectation that it would be another predictable, mediocre kiddies' flick along the lines that those Olsen twins' churn out. Instead, I was very pleasantly surprised by both the interesting plot and the acting of the young child actor.

The story revolves around nine-year-old Thomas who has dreams about his 'imaginary friend' Tom, unaware that these dreams are in fact the manifestation of a psychic bond between him and his long-lost twin brother Tom. Thomas was the lucky twin who was adopted into a loving family whereas Tom grew up in an abusive orphanage. Then the two accidentally meet and it's up to them to break a child trafficking racket that is being conducted in Tom's orphanage.

Sean Bean is excellent as Thomas' father Paul, offering a paternal softness that is rarely required in the characters he usually plays. Aaron Johnson, the young actor who plays both roles of Tom and Thomas, is very talented for a child who very new to acting. He managed to convey the emotions of the story perfectly as well as juggle two accents (something many experienced adult actors can't manage, let alone a nine-year-old child) and two very different characters. It's a shame he's not been in more films since as he's probably qualifies as one of Britain's best young talent. And of course, I can't forget to mention Derek de Lint, who was wonderfully slimy as Mr Bancroft, and Bill Stewart, who was brilliant in capturing the crazed cruelty of Finch.

It might sound contrived but the fact it refuses to delve into the sugary sweetness of your typical American film (there's even a scene where Tom is beaten) and it isn't as predictable as it sounds, with reflection that Tom has problems down to his abusive past, and that is what sets this film aside from other family films doing the 'seperated twin' storyline.

It's just a shame that it wasn't advertised more since it's a film that Britain should have been proud to produce and it's certainly better than many Hollywood family films I've seen over the years.

I rented this mostly because I adore Sean Bean. It was nice to see him in a film where he doesn't kill people or get killed, for a change.

I expected the typical "twins change homes" tale in the vein of the Olsen twins vehicle I had suffered through a few years back but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. It is not obvious at first that there really is a second boy. The scene where Thomas is feeling all that is happening to his twin is very well directed and stuck with me.

There are some scenes that would probably upset young children. Finch, the wild eyed caretaker of the boy's home Tom is in, is particularly frightening and there are certain undertones of sexual abuse about it (not that anything other than physical abuse happens, but still)

In all, this is a good movie for children. Sean Bean fans will not get an awful lot (though I happen to think ConcernedFather!Sean is sexy)

Mim

Being one of the people who were an extra in this movie, I still wonder why this movie did get so little attention, I think the distribution company had a too busy release list to really pay attention to this rather good movie.

Off course he was very concentrated on set, so I did not get to speak to him, but everybody knows Sean Bean as a fine actor, and also Aaron and the rest of the cast and crew did their best.

So that's why I think it's a shame, after so much hard work, that the movie received so little marketing effort. See the movie, it's really nice.

I am grateful for the experience of being a part of this movie, and will do everything I can to make my own movie, which I am currently producing, a great success.

Tom & Thomas is an standard Christmas-movie (note the release in the Netherlands is almost two months after Christmas). But is very enjoyable because the good cast and direction from Esmé Lammers (long live the queen). if you're looking for a family-movie with a enjoyable story for everyone go see it movie!

7,2/10