Festival audiences are destined to fall for this charming boarding school comedy set in the 80s, where unspoken crushes and social battles rule supreme.
An excellent Alex Lawther (Netflix’s The End of the F***ing World, 2017) stars as Amberson, a gawky, arty boy who has been at the bottom of the social ladder of Caldermount school since he can recall. When a new French master arrives with his fiery daughter Agnes in tow, Amberson’s life is turned upside down. Unexpectedly, he finds himself playing matchmaker for Winchester, the school’s popular sporting hero, and the achingly cool Agnes. It’s clear Winchester has the looks to win Agnes over but Amberson knows he has the wits, if only he’s willing to use them…
Fresh and poignant, the 80s backdrop revives the longing of what school crushes were like without the immediacy of social media and the digital age. Amidst love notes passed in class, and ornately staged gestures of affection, this first feature from Toby MacDonald is a delightful look at boys attempting to understand young love and what women want.
