SIXTY-SIX

UK, 2006, 93 minutes, Colour.
Gregg Sulkin, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Rea, Peter Serafinowicz, Catherine Tate, Ben Newton.
Directed by Paul Weiland.

What a pleasant surprise! It has not been trumpeted as a British film to see, but it is one that will bring a lot of memories and happiness to many adults. It will also bring some empathy for the Jewish community in North London. It is not such a laugh out loud comedy but one that should keep a smile on your face most of the time.

The title actually refers to the year 1966. For football fans (especially emotional after the performance of the side in 2006), it was the year when England won the World Cup. For the hero of our film, thirteen year old Bernie Rubens (the first film by non-actor, Gregg Sulkin, who is completely convincing), it will ultimately be that fateful and wonderful day. But in the short term, it is to be the day of his Bar Mitzvah and the celebration afterwards when, at last, he will be the centre of attention. The long trail to his modest and sorry celebration is what this film is about.

The final credits have old footage of a past Bar Mitzvah and it is not hard to guess that it is that of the celebration for the director himself, Paul Weiland, forty years ealier. (It is acknowledged in those credits to Uncle Leonard!) In fact, Weiland had the experience of his big day being the World Cup final day. And it his film was shot in his old school and at the synagogue where he had his own ceremony. His mother supplied a lot of the detail for the family home in the film and coached Helena Bonham Carter as Esther, Bernie’s mother.

Actually, the football theme doesn’t come in immediately but, when it does, it pervades the story. The important thing is that we get to know the Rubens family. Bernie is the boy that no one at school wants to pick for their football team – the boy with polio is selected before he is! At home, he is almost invisible. His older brother gets all the attention (and has his home movie of his elaborate Bar Mitzvah party to prove it).

Not that Bernie’s mum and dad are all that bad. For a number of reasons, they take him for granted.

Dad is the older of two brothers, Manny and Jimmy, who run a grocery in the market. Jimmy attracts the customers and keeps them entertained. Manny has no sense of humour. His toast at his niece’s wedding is very funny as he goes through all the family dead (and the causes of death) who would like to have been there. Then come the new supermarket entrepreneurs and the grocery store is doomed.

Manny (a perfectly lugubrious performance by Eddie Marsin, who appeared as the hanged friend in Pierrepoint) is doomed to accidents and failure and we do feel for him despite his woes. These distract him from Bernie’s education by the Rabbi and his elaborate plans for his celebration, having to whittle them down as each disaster strikes.

Stephen Rea appears as Bernie’s doctor who diagnoses Bernie’s asthma and is very friendly, a great football fan but who has troubles of his own.

Bernie follows England’s progress towards the final with disbelief. Everybody told him they couldn’t get there – and then make excuses so that they cannot come to his party and can stay home to watch the TV.

You keep wondering how it could possibly end happily, but it does – and very nicely, affirming father-son relationships and the warmth of family being together.

1. A pleasing film? Interesting? Entertaining? A slice of English life?

2. The film as autobiographical, the life of the director, authentic feel, memories, sadness, humour?

3. The tone of nostalgia, family life, Jewish background, sport, patriotism?

4. The title, the look of 1966, the sound, issues?

5. The re-creation of period, North London and the streets and houses, the markets, the synagogue, the school, Wembley Stadium?

6. The songs of the period, accompanying the characters and their experiences? Memories and nostalgia?

7. English devotion to football, the United Kingdom, the team, 1966, the victory, the forty years in between, the 2006 World Cup and hopes, the English side, progress? The television footage, black and white and colour? Inserted into the film? The build-up the final? Patriosm, flags etc?

8. Bernie, the introduction, not being picked for the team? At home at meals and his not being noticed? His not being in the car, lost, in the water and shouting? His family loving him but…? At school, bullied, his brother riding him at the sports day? His brother’s rules in the house, not allowed on the carpet, shooting at him at night when he went to the toilet? The effect on Bernie’s psyche?

9. The build-up to the bar mitzvah, the rabbi, the introductions and explanations, the questions, the inspiration? The aims of a bar mitzvah, the training? Bernie alone while the others had their fathers, the fathers explaining their self-sacrifice for their children, their pride? The rabbi, his character, blindness? His talking to Bernie, rationalising the situation for him – and Bernie going out the door? The final ceremony? His presence at the celebration?

10. Jimmy and Manny, managing the shop, Jimmy with the jokes, keeping the customers, Manny and his seriousness? The supermarket opening, the executive coming with the offer, the discussions, Manny and his seriousness, refusal? The wariness of the tax man? Keeping his savings in cash under the bed? The irony of his wanting to buy a shop, the tax returns to be examined, the possibility of prison? The final disaster with the rocket coming through the window, burning his cash?

11. The wedding sequence, the family at the wedding, Manny and his preparing to make the speech, everybody commenting about his lack of humour? His speech, his going through the family and their illnesses and death? The boys and their attitude towards their father and desperation? Esther and her loving him? Lilah and her cooking? The spirit of the family?

12. The plans for the bar mitzvah, the footage for Avi’s bar mitzvah, the elaborate celebration, Avi as the centre of attention, Bernie being shunted out of the way all the time? Bernie and the voice-over, his explanations to the audience, in the garage, the invitees, the seating arrangements, the gradual build-up? With his friend and the testing of the drinks? The gradual reduction, the eventual disappearance – and his family finally coming to the garage and seeing what he had hoped for?

13. England in the World Cup, the various matches, the build-up to the final, the enthusiasm for football? Bernie and his watching the matches on television, trying a bit of voodoo, being reassured that they would not get into the final, people then giving excuses not to come, Doctor Barrie and his enthusiasm for sport?

14. The character of the doctor, friendly, diagnosing his asthma, helping Bernie, the examinations, the exercises, his wife going with him to the pictures, Bernie seeing his wife and her infidelity and hidden in the cupboard, the end and his going to the doctor, the doctor’s sadness?

15. The selling of the shop, the supermarket and its success, the people queuing? Jimmy and his interest in shoes? Many and his ulcer? Jimmy and the deal, Manny going to work for him?

16. Manny, his character, morose, sitting at the table in his underwear to avoid stains, locking the car and rechecking, the heater in the boys’ room? His sons’ reaction? Esther and her devotion to him? The family supporting him? His love for his sons? Taking Bernie out for the day, the kite and the dog mangling it, the dog on the car? The sadness? His seeing Jimmy and his wife together, suspicions?

17. The planning for the limited bar mitzvah, the visuals of where it might have been, Bernie seeing it reduced in his imagination? The going to the Catholic hall? The Irish band and their comments – and their later being at the bar mitzvah, playing Irish tunes, then changing?

18. The build-up to the day itself, the beauty of the ceremony, Esther and her pride, Manny and his satisfaction, the rest of the family there (with Jimmy in the wheelchair after the accident with the sign)? The party at home, the poor number of gifts, the people who thought their invitation hadn’t come, the dog excrement, the smell, the lining up for the photos, Bernie gone to see the doctor?

19. Manny, the burning of the house, his dismay, the loss of the money? His collapse? His going to the shop after writing the notes, his finding Jimmy and his accident, going to the hospital, wanting to go in the ambulance, not wanting the letters delivered? His reconciliation?

20. Manny going to find Bernie at the doctor’s, trying to make up to him, the decision to go to the final, the carefree attitude, speeding, the Scots policeman giving him a ticket, finding his friend the tout, getting in, the happiness of the success of the England team against Germany?

21. The finale, the family together, playing in the yard, the bonds between them? Bernie and the happy memories of his bar mitzvah day and the bond with his father?