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Wondrous Oblivion

Written by Nobuhiro Hosoki

 

Director Paul Morrison, after tackling a cross-cultural period-piece with "Solomon and Gaenor", is back on similar ground--though much lighter in tone--with "Wondrous Oblivion."  This film focuses on an immigrant family living in a conservative, working-class neighborhood in the England of the 1960s. David Wiseman, a young Jewish kid with wide-eyed innocence, is obsessed with cricket. He even has a complete set of cigarette cricket-card players. Unfortunately, his skill at playing the game doesn't match up to his passion, and now he just serves as a scorekeeper. 

But everything in his life shifts when a lively Jamaican family moves in next door.  Though the residents of the bigoted white neighborhood greet their arrival with shock, young David ignores his parents' warning and spies on newcomer Dennis (Delroy Lindo)  as he installs a cricket pitch and protective net in his backyard. Of course the boy can barely contain his excitement. When David showed up in full cricket gear, we know that the love of the game can easily transcend any racial gaps.

With buttoned-down friendliness, Dennis embraces his neighbor and teaches the lad some of the finer points of the game together with his daughter Judy (Leonie Elliott). Slowly, David builds his self-esteem and finally impresses his peers with his new-found skill. Their intimate relationship, however, stirs one neighbor to send a threatening note to David's father, Victor (Stanley Townsend). Meanwhile, his mother Ruth (Emily Woolf) develops a fondness for Dennis when he fixes her broken washing machine. All of a sudden, friendship and the ugliness of racism converge, only to create an awkwardness in a film that tries to juggle these parallel stories.  Still, the coming-of-age story keeps this film pushing forward.

Throughout, Delroy Lindo hits a high score with his performance, portraying a character that exudes his conscious and powerful presence.  Here, Paul Morrison celebrates a certain solidarity between minorities,and the film's up-with-people note becomes a genuinely touching human tale.  After all, it's a film clearer than a state of "Wondrous Oblivion"--a feel-good movie that simply needs to be seen.

Directed by Paul Morrison
Written by Paul Morrison
Director of photograpghy: Nina Kellgren
Edited by David Freeman
Music by Ilona Sekacz
Prodeced by David Kosse, Michael Kurn, Kevin Loadeer
Running time 106 minutes.
Not rated.

Cast: David Wiseman (Sam Smith)
Dennis Samuels (Delroy Lindo)
Ruth Wiseman (Emily Woof0
Victor Wiseman (Stanley Townsend)
Grace Samuels (Angela Wynter)
Judy Samuels (Leonie Elliott)
Dorothy Samuels (Naomi Simpson)
Mr. Pugh (Jo Stone-Fewings)
Garry Sobers (Gary McDonald)