This is a tremendously entertaining film that makes its points about many things: childhood energy, ingenuity, innocence, and nostalgia; class distinction; first love; learning from one's mistakes; life being precious; parentage; realizing what's important in life; setting an example as a parent; etc. It's filmed in the beautiful Irish countryside. Watching it, I wanted to grow up there myself. The youthful actors were comic, fantastic, joyful, touching, and true to childhood. The script was outstanding in allowing the young actors to show us the essence of childhood, rather than just telling us by being talky. The story concerns the rivalry between two sets of boys in neighboring towns and how and why it escalates. A real charmer, it reminds me of Truffaut's Small Change and the resilience that all children seem to have. The only criticism I have is regarding the transition in the film from the rivalry to the last act. Although it seemed to be a natural enough occurrence, I felt it was a little quick and the film ended a bit abruptly for me. Or just maybe I wanted the magic to continue, if for only a little while longer: the nostalgia of childhood and first realizations. *** of 4 stars.
Review of War of the Buttons
