Oak is a kid who can play the guitar quite well. But he's not really the main character of this movie. The real main character is a girl who thinks Oak is the reincarnation of her dead brother. Her brother was in a band, which she managed, and after his death she went completely insane. She was sectioned and she attempted suicide. This is a decent set up for a movie. She can have some character growth, get over her grief, maybe help Oak through his problems. He's bullied at school and his mother is a drug addict, so they could help each other deal emotionally with their struggles.
That's not what happens.
I'm going to jump straight to the end of the film, because that's my problem with this film, the ending. They've been setting up this ending where she gets over the death of her brother and moves on with her life, and Oak goes off to be a normal kid with his grandparents, after his mother's death. Instead, the insane woman fakes documents giving herself custody of Oak, and this is presented as an entirely positive development. Admittedly, his grandparents are unpleasant and authoritarian, but probably still better than a gambling addicted rock roadie. Then, with no warning, it turns out that he really is the reincarnated brother, and the movie ends with a reproduction of the opening scene, but with the kid replacing the brother. There's also a coda where she's back with the man who dumped her because of her obsession with her dead brother, and shes pregnant now, too.
Normally the pregnancy would be symbolic of her moving on with her life after the brother's death, but here it's the opposite, it symbolises that she's happy to be creepily obsessed with a small boy who is the reincarnation of her brother, and it's so stupid.
It's a weird and pointless ending, and it really doesn't make any sense. Apart from that the movie is fine. Good cast, decent child actors, well shot. The twist ending is just a real problem.
That's not what happens.
I'm going to jump straight to the end of the film, because that's my problem with this film, the ending. They've been setting up this ending where she gets over the death of her brother and moves on with her life, and Oak goes off to be a normal kid with his grandparents, after his mother's death. Instead, the insane woman fakes documents giving herself custody of Oak, and this is presented as an entirely positive development. Admittedly, his grandparents are unpleasant and authoritarian, but probably still better than a gambling addicted rock roadie. Then, with no warning, it turns out that he really is the reincarnated brother, and the movie ends with a reproduction of the opening scene, but with the kid replacing the brother. There's also a coda where she's back with the man who dumped her because of her obsession with her dead brother, and shes pregnant now, too.
Normally the pregnancy would be symbolic of her moving on with her life after the brother's death, but here it's the opposite, it symbolises that she's happy to be creepily obsessed with a small boy who is the reincarnation of her brother, and it's so stupid.
It's a weird and pointless ending, and it really doesn't make any sense. Apart from that the movie is fine. Good cast, decent child actors, well shot. The twist ending is just a real problem.