The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2014)

10 year old T.S. Spivet lives on a remote Montana ranch. His father (Callum Keith Rennie) is an old fashion cowboy. His mother Dr. Clair (Helena Bonham Carter) has a rambling set of interests. His sister Gracie is eager to leave home where the only traffic comes from the passing trains. Ms. Jibsen (Judy Davis) from the Smithsonian calls to tell him that he won the prestigious Baird prize for a perpetual motion machine expecting an older scientist. He pretends to be speaking for his father and runs away to Washington D.C. riding the rails.Jean-Pierre Jeunet directed one of my favorite movies, Amélie. In that movie, he is able to use Paris' romanticism for his surreal touches. In this movie, he's a bit lost. He's out of his elements. The kid is fine but nothing more. The surreal touches remain. Sometimes it's fun like the fake RV family. Other times, it's out of place and really out of time. That ranch exists only in old movies. The brother is another issue that needs clarity earlier. It's not a thing to have a revelation. Jeunet's style of movie making needs a level of unreality which clashes with this story. At times, it makes this movie look cheap. I had higher hopes.

I won't bother you with another plot summary nor with the wonderful acting. I just want to point out the unbelievable visuals of landscapes and scenery, rural impressions, camera angles, exposures, pip and.. I will stop now before spoiler alert. See for yourself and enjoy!

Directed in typically quirky fashion by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the movie tells the story of a brilliant child who runs away from home to accept an award from the Smithsonian Institute. It's a movie that captures the weird mix of hope, alienation, and angst that is childhood.Beautifully shot in brilliant colors, the movie is a comedy with melancholy moments. It's kind of a kid's movie, but of the sort you get in France, which seems to consider children more sophisticated and complex than America (I'm with France on that). Which means it works quite well for adults.The movie does occasionally drag, and there was a point where my girlfriend and I independently wondered if that train trip would ever end, but for the most part, this is quite charming.

Movies told through the eyes of a child - movies that capture the joy and wonderment of childhood - simply warm me to the bone. I love 'em. Three of the best ever are Millions from 2005 and The Cure from 1995 and E.T. from 1982. With that said, T.S. Spivet tried hard, but just didn't do it for me. It was good, held my attention and moved along nicely, but there was just something missing. The story was rather silly and filled with plot holes, but I tried to excuse that because a kid was telling us the story. Judy Davis was very good, but Helena Bonham Carter was too old for her role. Kyle Catlett, our little brainiac T.S., was engaging, but came across as a bit irritating at times. The cinematography, sets and score were excellent, by the way. I would recommend this movie for kids - not their parents who may be trying to recapture the magic of growing up. (6.5 stars out of 10)