Nostalgia is the order of the day in The Pebble And The Boy as Chris Green’s Odyssey into reminiscing about all things Mod makes it way to the big screen and one young mans journey to discover more about his father as he treks to Brighton to spread his ashes and encounters all manner of mishaps and characters along the way in a voyage of self discovery.
John Parker (Patrick McNamee) is a 19 year old from Manchester who embarking on a journey to Brighton on an old Lambretta scooter left to him by his father. Brighton being the spiritual home of the Mods.
The Pebble And The Boy nearly loses you in the first ten-fifteen minutes as the maudlin opening, somewhat drags the opening for just too long. However when it finds it’s groove, and it does find it with some panache. It picks you up and carries you along for the ride.
The film idles along as John decides what to do with himself, we understand that he’s not entirely happy at home, but then he doesn’t seem happy with anything as McNamee mopes throughout most of the proceedings to the point that, they should have possibly named the film “I’m going back home..”. However, everything changes when Sacha Parkinson explodes into the story and exudes amazing charisma and makes you immediately sit up and take notice. Anytime she’s on screen, The Pebble And The Boy is entrancing. She storms through every scene, gloriously picking it up by the coat tails (Much like John) and drags you to a point of embracing the film as if you were the protagonist.
Throw in a wickedly funny turn from Max Boast as Logan, one of John’s dad’s Mod friends son, who hates his own father and is sent along for the ride. When the trio interact with each other, The Pebble And The Boy has it’s finest moments. Add in extended cameos from Patsy Kensit, Jessie Birdsall and Mani and you have a rather superbly worked indie Brit flick. Add in dashes of Paul Weller on the soundtrack (He allowed four of his songs to be used) and you have a thoroughly enjoyable semi autobiographical movie from Director Chris Green, that despite it’s flaws, is great little breakthrough film for the Salfordian.
The Pebble And The Boy does flounder occasionally in it’s episodically style of editing as the duo move from one situation to another, but overall that doesn’t matter as Parkinson, McNamee and Boast work their charms on the viewer as it tumbles onto it’s third act fallout, before wrapping it up all neatly for a beautiful trip down memory lane for those who remember the Quadrophenia era with some affection and time for one seriously wicked joke from Parkinson, who by the time the credits roll should have the police called on her as she’s steals the whole movie.
When it’s good, The Pebble And The Boy is a triumph (Or should that be a Lambretta?) and a fantastic Brit movie that deserves to find love and support in it’s intended audience. Once a Mod…
The Pebble And The Boy will be in cinemas nationwide from Friday, 27th August
