A Dozen Summers
The joy of childhood is that imagination is boundless. There is a whole hoard of movies that encapsulate this. From the magic of Disney to the fantasy of Harry Potter, they enrich our lives with these childlike narratives that remind us of how we were and simultaneously enchants the younger audience. It's really difficult to balance this and perhaps the movies that do this best are those told from a child's perception. The Goonies, ET, and, more recently, Inside Out have all been great courageous efforts that translate the emotions growing up…
Another on that list is Kenton Hall's great film - A Dozen Summers.
A Dozen Summers starts like any other film. A regal Colin Baker narrates a fairytale story about two siblings who are about to embark on the most incredible adventure. Except the narrator, and the audience, are stopped before that can happen by two wayward twins Maisie and Daisy who, intrigued by the thought of starring in their own film, they hijack the movie and being telling their own story. As these pre-adolescent girls take us on a journey through their lives and their wickedly smart imagination - playing with the rules of cinema and the world they encompass in a brilliant original way.
There is a dynamism to the film that effervesces with ingenuity and skill. Ultimately smashing the fourth wall in the first five minutes, director Kenton Hall is allowed to play with the confines of cinema and bend them to the whim of the two children (played by Hero and Scarlet Hall). This beautifully opens up the film to whimsy and fantastical elements such as tableaus of thoughts and dreamlike moments as well as homages to classic movies and the art form itself. Taking in the adults around them too, this wildly creative film soars on screen and in its whimsy, you find yourself adoring each character and moment that they happily enhance.
These seamlessly flow into the story that never forgets its heart either. This is a treasure of growth and maturing whilst still maintaining the lightness that childhood inspires. There's a lot of heart here and that echoes greatly throughout A Dozen Summers. With wonderful emotion and a quick humour, the film really sparks with wondrous emotions and elements that capture the joy of pre-adolescent adventures.
Admittedly, this independent movie does suffer and that is mainly in the acting talents of the young children. They are good enough to convey the story but do have a lot to learn with their craft. They are good but the movie does suffer somewhat from the delivery of their lines which can be off-putting for a majority of the film. That being said, the greatest thing I can say is that this movie feels wholesome and real and that everyone is on set is clearly enjoying themselves. They are helped, too, by Sarah Warren and Kenton Hall himself who enthuse an adult presence without drowning out the youthful voice.
You'll come away from A Dozen Summers with a smile on your face, a click in your heel and a wish to spend the waning summer days in the midst of childlike wandering.