Wry British wit is the order of the day with this release. If you don’t know what channel BBC America is on your local cable system, read no further. Conversely, if you worship at the altar of Stephen Moffat and Simon Pegg, this film may be your cup (spot?) of tea.
Set in 1996, Sixty Six tells the genteel story of a Bernie Reubens, an affable Jewish boy whose Bar Mitzvah is coming up. Deeply competitive with his older brother, Bernie embarks upon a plan to make his coming out party the far superior one of the two. Alas, his strategy falls apart a bit as his family begins to suffer from a slew of financial disasters that limit how much they can spend on what Bernie had anticipated to be a lavish gala event.
The real tragedy occurs when Britain’s soccer team unexpectedly goes on a run in the World Cup, making it to the Finals. Bernie is depressed to discover that this epic world event will occur on the exact same day as his Bar Mitzvah. Unfortunately, that means many of the would-be attendants who had previously RSVP’d for the event have come down with a case of Football Flu.
The cast of Sixty Six is quite good. Helena Bonham Carter portrays Bernie’s mother, Esther, while Hancock villain Eddie Marsan plays his dad. Doctor Who’s current companion, Catherine Tate, is also on board as Bernie’s Aunt Lila. And Academy Award nominee Stephen Rea has a small part as Dr. Barrie.
Released in England in November of 2006, will receive a moderate North American release thanks to the kind people at First Independent Pictures. It will not be a box office factor at all. Given the acting talent on board, however, it may prove to be a delight to its target audience of people who have season passes for Absolutely Fabulous and Little Britain. If you are in that audience, this title should be on your radar. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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