Glad The Year Wasn't As Bad As This Sixty-Six

The next movie is "Sixty Six" This is the coming of age story with a sports twist. It is the summer of '66, and England is about to be consumed by World Cup Fever. For 12 year-old Bernie (Gregg Sulkin) though, the biggest day of his life is looming: his Bar Mitzvah, the day he becomes a man. However, Bernie's family are increasingly distracted by the threat of losing their business and their wayward older son, that the scale of Bernie's Bar Mitzvah diminishes daily. Esther (Helena Bonham Carter) and Manny (Eddie Marsan) try to convince Bernie that his day is still important to them. Worst of all the Soccor Cup Final is scheduled to take place on the same day and when England makes it through the qualifying rounds, Bernie's longed-for Bar Mitzvah looks set to be a complete disaster. There is little humor here, I found this movie to be very sad, not the plot, but the movie in general. I tried to feel for the family, but there was something that wouldn't let me. When disaster strikes the family Manny seems to withdraw and his family is left to clean up. I can say that this is a movie suitable for children that is funny, compassionate and resonates with their problems. No animation, no talking animals, just a boy and his family, He gets picked on, ignored, yet he teaches himself to grow up. At times Bernie seems like the only adult, as he goes through his Bar Mitzvah classes alone, he learns that life won't always be easy. The scenes where Bernie performs black magic to keep England out of the Cup Finals seems both weird and creepy. Bernie spends a lot of time visiting Dr. Barrie (Stephen Rea) they play some games, talk and generally hang out. Bernie invites Dr. Barrie to attend his Bar Mitzvah, but Dr. Barrie is having his own troubles at home. The end of the movie is typical Hollywood cliche, the father realizes how important bernie is and they spend time together doing the one thing no one expected, going to the Cup Finals. I give Sixty Six a 2 and on my avoidance scale I give it a 2.