How many movies have you watched that were made in Switzerland? Well, this one was and seems to be favorably received. The user comments here are almost all filled with plaudits for the film. I agree, with a few reservations.
Although I enjoyed the movie and was pretty entertained by it, I thought it got a little carried away in the last 40 minutes or so and all credibility went flying out the window. First, the good news: all the characters were interesting and the story had a unique twist to it, one that I doubt anyone could see coming. I won't say what it is, but just don't expect the normal "child prodigy" story.
Many scenes in the final third of the movie, I thought, got too unrealistic. A 12-year-old boy gone for hours - at an expensive condo he bought unknown to his parents, at expensive restaurants, pulling all of kinds of business deals with background checks, climbing up into an airplane with nobody seeing him? - on and on. There are just too many scenes that have huge holes in them like, well, Swiss cheese. In addition, the kid is obnoxious many times and the parents unrealistic. I felt more than a touch of elitism thrown into this story.
I think the oddest part of the film was the mother speaking English about every fifth sentence. What's up with that? Still, I think many people will enjoy this movie because the story, even with the holes, is still entertaining enough to sit through, which is more than you can say for a lot of two-hour films.
Although I enjoyed the movie and was pretty entertained by it, I thought it got a little carried away in the last 40 minutes or so and all credibility went flying out the window. First, the good news: all the characters were interesting and the story had a unique twist to it, one that I doubt anyone could see coming. I won't say what it is, but just don't expect the normal "child prodigy" story.
Many scenes in the final third of the movie, I thought, got too unrealistic. A 12-year-old boy gone for hours - at an expensive condo he bought unknown to his parents, at expensive restaurants, pulling all of kinds of business deals with background checks, climbing up into an airplane with nobody seeing him? - on and on. There are just too many scenes that have huge holes in them like, well, Swiss cheese. In addition, the kid is obnoxious many times and the parents unrealistic. I felt more than a touch of elitism thrown into this story.
I think the oddest part of the film was the mother speaking English about every fifth sentence. What's up with that? Still, I think many people will enjoy this movie because the story, even with the holes, is still entertaining enough to sit through, which is more than you can say for a lot of two-hour films.