This film manages to explore some difficult issues without being depressing or condescending.
The main character, Shonzi is developmentally delayed and he uses the sympathy this often evokes in others, as a weapon to manipulate them.
This is a challenging film to make fun, enjoyable and positive but Linas Phillips, the director and writer (who plays Shonzi), succeeds in doing so.
The film provides good insight into the challenges faced by Shonzi and those around him, but it avoids being tub thumping and over-emotional. The characters and the audience are treated as adults; sexuality and disability are explored with confidence and realism.
I tend to see films that explore "issues", as educational rather than entertaining. But this is different. It is entertaining but I also felt I had effortlessly learned something new by the end of the film.
The main character, Shonzi is developmentally delayed and he uses the sympathy this often evokes in others, as a weapon to manipulate them.
This is a challenging film to make fun, enjoyable and positive but Linas Phillips, the director and writer (who plays Shonzi), succeeds in doing so.
The film provides good insight into the challenges faced by Shonzi and those around him, but it avoids being tub thumping and over-emotional. The characters and the audience are treated as adults; sexuality and disability are explored with confidence and realism.
I tend to see films that explore "issues", as educational rather than entertaining. But this is different. It is entertaining but I also felt I had effortlessly learned something new by the end of the film.