Wondrous Oblivion Reviews

What more could you ask for in a movie?

A gentle comedy that doesn't thrust the race issue down your throat, although the intergration of black Caribbean's into white London is one of the central issues of the movie.

The other issue is CRICKET!! What more could you ask for in a movie? I left the movie wanting to see more of the characters,and you can easily see this as a TV series. Also the music is excellent as well.

Wonderful

Brilliant and touching. Don't know if this world ever existed but I enjoyed it all the same. You'll need kleenex for this one.

Catch this great DVD

Cricket is merely the context for this analysis of racist attitudes towards afro-carribbean imigrants in early 1960's London.

Not as punchy as 'East is East', but the gentle nature of much of the content delivers the message equally as effectively.

An excellent film for all the family.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Not bowled over by the title - good job the film has an innings of sorts...

A film about outsiders, a film about the early 60s, a film about growing up - with a hefty slice of stereo-typing thrown in from the outfield. If that's your bag you'll enjoy the film. I liked the adult leads and the young West Indian actors were good. However, I think the film might have scored more boundaries had the young actor in the principle role hit harder. (counted how many cricket references yet?) A worthy film. A film that charted a short time in the history of one London street where a combination of West Indians, Jews and Gentiles lived in the 1960s. It was entertaining and heart warming but what ultimately I didn't like about this film was the proposition that working class racists were thugs and middle class racists just a little unusual. Wondrous Oblivion was, when all is said and done, a bit of a wide ball.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Delroy Lindo for England Coach

While this film could be accused by those with hearts of flint of being grossly sentimental, overly simplistic and as cheesy as a Dairy Lea slick I think in these contemporary, cynical times it’s a breath of fresh air and one of the best films involving sport I’ve ever seen.

Cricket doesn’t translate well to the screen in a dramatic setting but this film shows realistically how passion for sport and more importantly well placed encouragement and mentoring can enrich the life’s of individuals and communities. Of course this film isn’t just about cricket its numerous plot strands involving racism, immigration, families work? Life balance problems and the one element that really didn’t work for me the brief romantic sub-plot. But that’s a minor ahem no -ball in a movie that is also superb in it’s recreation of period feel and detail.

Delroy Lindo is fantastic as the charismatic hugely enthusiastic Dennis while Sam Smith portrays the repressed slightly geeky David very well. Emily Woof is a little flat as David’s mother but that was probably deliberate in order exacerbate the effect Dennis has on her.

Overall a minor gem of a movie and if the ending seems slightly too sweet, just wallow in the golden glow of it all for very few movies do this sort of thing well - ”Field Of Dreams”, “It’s A Wonderful Life” - and for me this is one of them.

Excellent

This is a lovely film about a lonely little Jewish boy who is crazy about cricket (but hopeless at playing), the Jamaican immigrants who just moved in next door (and who are also cricket mad) and the racial prejudice of 1960s England. It would be great if cricket truly was such a unifying force that it could overcome such prejudice, but either way, this is an uplifting film and well worth seeing.

Not too wondrous

Wondrous Oblivion is a cricket fil based in the early 1960s that tries to deal with issues of race and predujice of the time. The film charts the relationship between a young Jewish boy David (Sam Smith) and older black neighbour Dennis (Delroy Lindo) based on their passion of cricket. As the film progresses themes of racism and lack of racial acceptance of the time leads to a disintegration in the relationship although there is the ultimately feel good ending where the new black neighbours are accepted into the South London community.

Although I did enjoy this film, i can't help feeling disappointed by the ending and the false sentiments it tried to portray. The way everyone all of a sudden welcomes the black family into the community is too idealistic and doesn't give proper consideration to the values and inherent racism of the time. All the actors are solid without any stand out performances. A more bitter sweet ending would have given it more credibility but then the film isn't really pursue it anyway.

A little gem

Great feel good movie - which the whole family will enjoy. This film has it all - humour, human interactions and is topical. A little gem

Superb British Drama set in 60s London

Set in 60s London, a young Jewish boy is mad about cricket but no good at it. Then a Jamaican family move in next door and the father teaches the boy how to play cricket. You don't have to like cricket at all to love this film. It is charming, intelligent and throughly entertaining. It has a serious plot addressing issues of racism but is suitable for all the family. Highly recommended.

Poignant drama

Sam Smith is wonderfully touching as a school boy who can't play cricket but lives in his own little dream world, and is eventually brought out of his shell by the arrival of an immigrant family.

Thought-provoking issues and heart-warming nostalgia combine to make this a thoroughly quaint and watchable film.