Boorman keeps his energy up in all the scenes. He doesn’t get so personal he loses control... the picture moves along lightly, one incident after another, a collage of memories, dreams, newsreels, old movies, fake old movies.

At the same time that Boorman seduces us with such enchantments, he also deceives us with a crafty little googly of his own–persuading us that he is embarking on a fresh adventure while aiming straight for the heart of old-fashioned English cinema...

Boorman has created a film that will strike a responsive chord through all ages. It's warm, and fresh, with a different -- and totally effective -- point of view.

Sebastian Rice-Edwards gives an extraordinarily confident performance in the lead role, and he's matched by Geraldine Muir, playing his five-year-old sister.