Sixty Six (film)
Sixty Six is a 2006 British biographical comedy-drama film about a bar mitzvah which takes place in London on the day of the 1966 world cup final based on the true life bar mitzvah of director Paul Weiland.
| Sixty Six | |
|---|---|
 British theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Paul Weiland |
| Produced by | Tim Bevan Eric Fellner Elizabeth Karlsen |
| Written by | Bridget O'Connor Peter Straughan |
| Story by | Paul Weiland & Taylor Gathercole |
| Starring | Gregg Sulkin Helena Bonham Carter Eddie Marsan Stephen Rea |
| Narrated by | Maximilian Law (uncredited) |
| Music by | Joby Talbot |
| Cinematography | Daniel Landin |
| Edited by | Paul Tothill |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United International Pictures (Universal Pictures) (United Kingdom) |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom France |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,873,144 |
Plot
Bernie Reubens (Gregg Sulkin), a young Jewish boy, is about to have his bar mitzvah. Initially, he meticulously plans a lavish reception to upstage that of his older brother Alvie (Ben Newton), but as the family's finances lurch from one disaster to another, the family is forced to lower Bernie's expectations and stage the bar mitzvah reception at home in North London. When England reaches the 1966 football World Cup Final, most of the guests make excuses not to come to the reception so that they can watch the game. In the end Bernie's father saves the day by driving Bernie to watch the end of the match.
Cast
- Gregg Sulkin as Bernie Reubens
- Helena Bonham Carter as Esther Reubens
- Eddie Marsan as Immanuel "Manny" Reubens
- Ben Newton as Alvie Reubens
- Elliot Cukier as Young Alvie Reubens (uncredited)
- Thomas Drewson as Terry Shivers
- Peter Serafinowicz as Uncle Jimmy / Mr. Reubens, Sr. / Football Commentator
- Stephen Grief as Uncle Henry
- Catherine Tate as Aunt Lila
- Stephen Rea as Dr. Barrie
- Geraldine Somerville as Alice Barrie
- Maria Charles as Mrs Glitzman
- Vincenzo Nicoli as Leo
- Maximilian Law as Narrator (uncredited)
Reception
The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 65%, based on 51 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Likable but overly sentimental, Sixty Six has snatches of sharp dialogue but is ultimately too predicable."[1] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 57 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[2]
The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, saying "Although the subject might sound specialized, the picture is engineered with such skill that it transcends the ethnic details to become a universal story of a boy trying to find his place in an inhospitable world."[3] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times reviewed the film as being "enlightened by Bernie's impassioned narration and by a gallery of small comic details."[4] The New York Times described the film as "A dolorous comedy that leans heavily, if inoffensively, on ethnic stereotypes."[5]
References
- "Sixty Six (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- "Sixty Six". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- "Film Review: Sixty Six". The Hollywood Reporter. 2 July 2008.
- Ebert, Roger (27 August 2008). "Sixty Six (review)". Chicago Sun-Times.
- "Movie Review: Sixty Six (2006)-A Struggle Toward Manhood". New York Times. 1 August 2008.