Old Boys – November 4th

Okanagan Screen Arts Society is showing “Old Boys” on November 4th at the Vernon Towne.

Taking place at an English all-boys boarding school, this is a fresh and vibrant comedy of the timeless love story of Cyrano de Bergerac. With a modern twist, an awkward but imaginative pupil, Amberson, (Alex Lawther) helps the handsome, but not so clever, school-hero, Winchester, (Jonah Hauer-King) pursue the daughter, Agnes, (Pauline Etienne) of a visiting French teacher (Denis Menochet). Amberson agrees to pass notes between Winchester and Agnes in exchange for a reprieve from his daily bullying.

As Amberson pours his own feelings for Agnes into these letters and videos, his nerdy life is turned topsy turvy as he realizes he is falling in love with the girl himself while he is playing matchmaker.

Winner of Audience Award for best film in 2018 and a likable debut from director Toby MacDonald, this film tells the classic tale of romantic deception in a 1980s school setting and manages to create something fresh and distinctive in this charming, familiar tale. The deadpan Lawther brings subtle nuances to his geeky character in this well-paced tale of gawky teenage romance.