This British film has been praised a lot. It is not bad, the children actors are "sympathiques" - to use a French word without an English translation - one does not regret seeing it, but don't expect too much. It is the Brit's version of a Hollywood Christmas box-office hit. The plot is not believable - nor does it pretend to be. It however seems to pretend to inspire and offer wisdom but it does not do much of either. The symbolism is pretty direct and its ideas rarely raise above clichés. It tries to add some "action" by introducing a bad guy and some suspense - I did not really see the point of that. I did not regret spending an afternoon watching it, but the film is rather forgettable. It's a "safe" film to see with a girl on a date; you leave the theatre feeling nice and warm and fuzzy inside.
