Side by Side, 2013.
Directed by Arthur Landon.
Starring Bel Powley, Alfie Field, Sara Stewart, Diana Quick, Richard Lintern and Tom Beard.
SYNOPSIS:
Side by Side is the story of the unique bond that exists between a brother and a sister. After a rough couple of years, the pair face spending the rest of their childhood apart resulting in the pair of them running away in search of the only person who can keep their family together.
The first thing that strikes you about Side by Side is that it feels like a story that your parents would read to you when you were a child. An old fashioned tale of two children on an adventure into the unknown – perfect bedtime reading, even if you’re an adult.
The story starts with the older sibling Lauren Buckle being pressured into signing a contract with her agent that’ll set her up for life while at the same time take care of her ill grandmother. This would normally be a good thing but you can immediately tell that the agent isn’t quite as nice as she may first appear.
Laurens brother isn’t a fan of this plan and so sets off to find their long lost grandfather somewhere in Scotland so that he can find a place to call home. A simple enough set up I’ll grant you, but to be honest, it doesn’t need to be any more complex as that’s not the point of the story. What the story is really about is simply the relationship between the two siblings and how even simple quibbling can be overcome by a shared goal and the strongest of family bonds.
As you can imagine, the film doesn’t really have any hidden surprises or exciting plot twists but you can happily overlook that as the story starts to unfold – something which I’ll tell no more on so you can enjoy the adventure yourselves. All that you need to contend with is a lightweight and heart-warming story that has no malice or aggression and is filled with the very best of intentions.
While the plot may be a little light, the only strong criticism you could have against this film is that the two leads aren’t exactly the very best in child actors. While not entirely terrible, some of the lines are delivered with a certain wooden quality but again you can overlook this as the film is so well meaning.
This film isn’t so much a coming of age story as it is a simple tale of folksy adventure. One that can be enjoyed by anyone who has an annoying little brother or a slightly bossy older sister.
If I’m honest with myself, it may sound like I’m shielding this film from a more strongly worded review but, even though it does have many small faults, it left me with such a feeling of warmth and cosiness that it wouldn’t feel right being dismissing it completely.
What I will say is that this film is perfect for children and for adults who are looking to get a little reminiscent over their youth. For everyone else, this may not be for you.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Ozzy Armstrong is a Stargate and Rocky superfan. Follow him on Twitter.
Originally published October 12, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
