Wah-Wah

SYNOPSIS

Actor Richard E Grant makes his debut as writer/director with this affectionate and poignant coming-of-age drama. Loosely based on his own childhood in late 1960s Swaziland, the handsome film juxtaposes the death throes of British rule in Africa with the disintegration of a colonial family. Zac Fox and, later, About a Boy's Nicholas Hoult give solid performances as young Ralph Compton, whose idealised world is destroyed when his adulterous mother (an icy Miranda Richardson) runs off, leaving bureaucrat dad Harry (Gabriel Byrne) a broken alcoholic. Though remarriage to Emily Watson's breezy American follows, Harry never really recovers, terrorising the household with his drunken rages. Despite this tragic core, the tale remains warm and spirited, thanks to Ralph's bittersweet experiences as he wrestles with adolescence and the expat community's hilarious petty snobbery. Every beautifully composed frame bears the hallmark of Grant's passion, infusing the picture with charm and humanity, even during the flimsy final third.