Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 Print
Normal Topic Gentleman's Game, A (2001) (Read 5,183 times)
devon
Ex Member


Gentleman's Game, A (2001)
03. Oct 2002 at 19:39
Print Post  

I just watched "A Gentleman's Game", starring Mason Gamble. The movie is copyright 2001, so it's a recent movie.

In "A Gentleman's Game", Gamble, at 14, plays the role of a 12 year old boy. Now he's a fine 14 year old, but he really looks more like 16 or 17. Not that there's anything in the world wrong with 17 year olds. Really, it's fine for him to play a 14 or 17 year  old, but he does not play a 12 year old with any credibility. He's just cast in the role of someone too much younger than his appearance.

The movie, as a movie, is only fair. The plot is not very interesting. Although the photography is nice and the actors do a reasonably good job playing their roles, there isn't an interesting enough story to make it a worthwhile view.

Those who especially like Mason Gamble might give it a slightly higher rating, but for me, I give it a 5 for an overall movie rating, and a 6 as a boy movie. If Gamble had been playing a 14 year old, I'd give it a 7 as a boy movie, but he's just not the person for the role he was cast.
« Last Edit: 29. Jun 2008 at 05:12 by Zabladowski »  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
josephk
Platinum Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 3,981
Location: Canada
Joined: 01. Apr 2002
A Gentleman's Game
Reply #1 - 03. Oct 2002 at 23:26
Print Post  
Thanks for this review. I first heard about this film when it was still in production and I've been waiting ever since for it to find a distributor - which it never did. Now it's been released on DVD, so I guess it never will come to a theatre near me.

In any case, this is the first review I read of it. As a very big fan of Mason Gamble, I'm really disappointed, but at the same time not suprised. I saw recent pictures of MG and I agree that he does NOT look like a 12-year-old. In fact, Devon is right that he looks older than his age and could easily pass for a 16-year-old.

We've all done a lot of ranting here about how much it sucks when filmmakers cast older boys to play younger roles, but I can't repeating it again: IT SUCKS! In this case, I think it's also sad that MG gets a role like this and passes for a bad actor - not because he can't act, but because he was the wrong actor for the part.

I hope he gets roles that are more suited to his talent soon, because I believe he really is a fine actor and could have a great career ahead of him. And even if he's no longer the cute boy he was in <i>Rushmore</i>, I'd still love to see him play in some good movies.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Zabladowski
BA Moderator
*****
Offline


The Wish Meister

Posts: 2,656
Location: USA
Joined: 30. Oct 2001
A Gentleman's Game
Reply #2 - 03. Oct 2002 at 23:43
Print Post  
I saw this movie a couple of weeks ago and I totally agree with your assessment. Anya's Bell and Rushmore were examples of Mason in the prime of his boyhood. Based on his appearance in this movie, it's hard to think of him as anything but a young man. On the positive side, his ability to give a strong performance is still there. Justin Goncalves, his costar, is similarly unbelievable as a 12 year old, but is probably a young teen.

What I thought was strange about the movie is that I didn't see any reason why Timmy and Jamie had to be 12, some of the plot arcs would have made more sense had their characters been as old as the performers who played them.  If a profile is created, my vote is 6/10 for the movie and 6/10 as a boy movie.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
cal-Q-L8
Platinum Member
*****
Offline


Admin

Posts: 8,002
Location: Australia
Joined: 30. Oct 2001
Gender: Male
A Gentleman's Game
Reply #3 - 04. Oct 2002 at 10:01
Print Post  
Mason is one of my all time favourite boyacts and even though he's now well into his teens I'd still be keen to see him playing roles that suit his age.

It is grossly unfair of producers to cast an actor who doesn't look the part.  I haven't seen this movie but I have read about it.  I don't buy the excuse that there aren't sufficient actors around who could play the part or even the excuse about 'child labour laws'. 

There are plenty of 12 year olds that could have played the part. I suspect in this case they cast Mason because he was a 'name'. It didn't work obviously, serves them right.

What is it when kids get a 'name',  they seem to get cast in crap.  Their earlier roles before they became 'names' are often much better.

  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
hosenhaus
BA Moderator
*****
Offline


spheroid

Posts: 4,501
Joined: 30. Oct 2001
Gender: Male
A Gentleman's Game
Reply #4 - 04. Oct 2002 at 11:44
Print Post  
You're a little unfair in criticizing the age.  The movie takes place over a year or more, so even if he starts at 12, he finishes at 13 or 14.  Anyway, I was happy to see him in another movie.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Print