BOOKWORM Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Ant Timpson
Stars: Nell Fisher, Elijah Wood, Michael Smiley, Vanessa Stacey, Morgan O’Reilly.
Bookworm is the sophomore directorial feature from New Zealand filmmaker Ant Timpson, who is better known as a writer and producer on a number of weird and often gory horror film such as The Greasy Strangler and The ABCs Of Death, etc. Bookworm is more of a family friendly adventure and marks something of a change in direction for Timpson and his co-writer Toby Harvard, who both collaborated on his previous film, 2019’s Come To Daddy. Bookworm shares a couple of themes in common with that film, and its central theme of an estranged parent learning to bond with their child may seem overly familiar. But there is a freshness to Bookworm which is primarily a wilderness adventure that draws on Timpson’s own insecurities and flaws as a parent.
Bookworm centres around Mildred (Nell Fisher, from Evil Dead Rise, and the upcoming season 5 of hit tv series Stranger Things, etc), a curious and precocious eleven-year-old girl who is obsessed with the legend of the mythical Canterbury Panther, a mythical creature supposed to roam the Canterbury plains. She is a voracious reader and has an extensive vocabulary and appears wise beyond her years. Then her mother Zo (Morgan O’Reilly) is hopsitalised and lies in a coma. Mildred is surprised to find a strange man on her doorstep a couple of days later. He introduces himself as Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood) and says that he is her long-absent biological father and has arrived from the US to look after her for a while. Her father has been absent from her life. Strawn is a failed Las Vegas illusionist who bears a long-standing grudge against fellow magician David Blaine.
Mildred convinces the reluctant Strawn to accompany her on a camping trip in the wilderness. Mildred intends to find proof of the existence of the mythical Canterbury Panther, for which there is a $50000 reward. The money will help ease their financial worries.
Strawn is uncomfortable with being in the open, and the relationship between the pair is prickly to begin with. Mildred is not impressed by Strawn’s early attempts to impress her with his magic tricks. But over the course of the next couple of days they begin to bond. They even manage to catch a glimpse of the panther and Mildred films it on her camera.
But then they meet a pair of hikers named Arnold and Angelina (Michael Smiley and Vanessa Stacey), a couple of grifters who steal Strawn and Mildred’s belongings including her camera.
Timpson keeps things fairly light throughout and the amiable film has a nice mix of humour and pathos. He prefers to use practical effects where possible rather than CGI, which lends a touch of realism to the material. The film looks great thanks to the spectacular widescreen lensing of regular cinematographer Daniel Katz who captures the natural beauty of the New Zealand countryside of the Canterbury region with its mountains and picturesque lakes, and he makes the landscapes a character of the film.
Fisher, who was chosen from a hopeful list of some 300 young actresses, brings a spunk and feisty can-do attitude to her portrayal of the spirited Mildred, and she delivers her sharp, cynical dialogue with ease. Wood, who is best known for his role as Frodo in the epic Lord Of The Rings trilogy, brings both a warmth and a vulnerability to his performance as the immature and eccentric Strawn who has to adjust to the demands and responsibilities of fatherhood. The interaction and chemistry between the pair creates a wonderful dynamic and their developing relationship brings an emotional heft to the material. In a smaller role Smiley (from Gunpowder Milkshake, etc) brings a suitably sleazy and smarmy quality to his role as Arnold.
Bookworm is a charming and entertaining family friendly adventure, and another winner from New Zealand, whose film industry tends to punch above its weight.
★★★
