Review of Tadpole
Year: 2002 Reviewer: Chris Docker
It is rare that a film manages to be intellectually satisfying as well as extremely funny and heartwarming on an emotional level, but Tadpole manages to achieve it. It tells the story of a 15-year boy who is old for his age in many ways, reads Voltaire and speaks French fluently, takes his studies seriously . . . and falls in love with his stepmother (played by Sigourney Weaver). Applying intellect to his problem, he does not believe there are any obstacles that are insurmountable, and the consequent aspirations and revelations make for a wonderful story. Comparisons with The Graduate are inevitable, but this is a story of romantic love and there are no explicit sex scenes. As a coming of age tale it is remarkably mature, and storyboard quotations from Voltaire, peppered through the movie, keep pulling the audience back to central questions and philosophical ‘solutions'. Shot entirely on DVD, the film has associated highs and lows of the medium. The colours of Central Park are not quite as spectacular as could be achieved in 35mm for instance, but the ability to shoot a major movie on a budget of $150,000 (a figure quoted by the Director at its European premiere in Edinburgh August 2002), the spontaneity of being able to re-shoot a scene on the spur of the moment, and maybe the fact that a small camera is less intrusive when seeking finely shaded responses by the actors, all make a telling testament to the power of DVD. Image quality is generally excellent, but the story relies on a tightly crafted script and superb acting rather than hefty visuals.
Rating: 8/10
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