Tadpole
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Movie Reviews of Tadpole
Movie Review: Entertaining and slightly different
Summary: 5 Stars
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I thoroughly enjoyed this little film, which I came across entirely by accident. The premise is intriguing with a cast - Sigourney Weaver, John Ritter, Bebe Neuwirth - guaranteed to provide real acting, although young Aaron Stanford easily steals the show (Bebe gives him a good run for the money though). The script is articulate and witty (quite rare qualities these days) and intelligence is displayed in all other departments. Apart from Bebe Neuwirth's vampish turns, it is not a laugh out loud comedy - but you find yourself smiling a lot while watching it.My wife and I repeatedly commented during the film about how much it reminded us of one of Francois Truffaut's films - particularly the Antoine Doinel stories. The similarities between Oscar and Antoine are truly striking and the overall French flavour of the piece is surely not accidental. Other reviewers have complained about the directorial style and look of Tadpole, but this a large part of its charm. In fact, the Truffaut influence is what really endeared the film to us.
Yes, the running time is somewhat short but you still feel satisfied at the end. Tadpole is a film for anyone who appreciates something a little bit different.
Movie Review: Surprisingly good
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this unassuming little film, depicting one long Thanksgiving weekend in New York City, to be absolutely delightful. Oscar, a precocious fifteen year old prep school student who quotes Voltaire and speaks French, is far, far too sophisticated to be bothered by the girls his age. Rather, his heart is focused on his step-mother, played by Sigourney Weaver. He is a charmer, but completely unable to see the naivete of his youth. His efforts to be adult -- gluing on fake sideburns and spouting philosophy to any willing audience are right on. He seems to think that there is no reason he cannot be a serious contender for his step-mother's affections, and he courts her (his true intentions unbeknownst to her) by bringing her lunch at work, calling the terminology of her work (cardiological research) poetry, and playing tennis with her. John Ritter plays the clueless history-professor-Dad to a tee. I really liked this film -- from the title screen (where letters flitter across the screen in the shape of a tadpole) to the end, where Oscar is finally able to see the attractiveness of a girl his own age. Surprisingly good!Movie Review: This is about young genius
Summary: 5 Stars
I consider the women in this movie just props: the real humor is about the weird interactions between a fifteen-year-old intellectual master of Voltaire and anyone who would expect a kid to have relationships which would be appropriate for that age. The kid's eagerness to apply his knowledge to everything that could happen in a Thanksgiving weekend is challenged by the movie's knack for putting him in situations that he never expected. The literary side of this movie is the thoughts of Voltaire in quoted sentences that show up on the screen more often than I expected. The funniest thing about Voltaire is that anybody can read this stuff, but no one ever expects it to pop up like this. Everything this movie says about sideburns is funny. Forty minus fifteen is only twenty-five years ago, long after Elvis got out of the army and got his sideburns back. There are so many ways an ingenious teenager can get sideburns in a hurry in our society, it is great to see a kid in a hurry solve such practical problems.Movie Review: Lusciously Delicate Coming of Age Film...
Summary: 5 Stars
Oscar Grubman (Aaron Stanford) arrives in New York City by train as he has a short vacation from Chauncey Academy where he attends high school. Oscar is to celebrate Thanksgiving with his father Stanley (John Ritter) and stepmother Eve (Sigourney Weaver), but it is about to be a peculiar experience for Oscar since he has fallen deeply in love with his stepmother. The love that Oscar has for Eve causes friction between him and his dad who attempts to make it an enjoyable break for his son. By a coincidence Oscar ends up in bed with Eve's best friend Diane (Bebe Neuwirth), which causes some additional awkwardness for Oscar as he spends his break in New York. Tadpole is an excellent drama about coming of age and the youthful discovery of love that can sometimes be misunderstood. The story unfolds with remarkable ease as it displays the misfortunes and tragedies that can be connected with love, leaving the audience with a brilliant cinematic experience.Movie Review: Surprisingly good
Summary: 5 Stars
What a surprise. It's too bad the movie trailers made the film look like a sex fest because this film is actually a very touching account of the adolescent struggle. Although Aaron Stanford, the 15 year old anti-hero, was completely oogy and gross, Bebe Neuwirth & Sigourney Weaver were able to be completely believable as the objects of his affection. And, despite his general unattractiveness there was a delicious energy throughout the whole film...I found myself experiencing the same feelings I had when reading Catcher in the Rye (although this movie is about a poseur who just wants to bag his stepmother and not on the level of intellect as that great work!).