A Boy Called Dad

30 Mar 11

Director: Brian Percival

UK

2009

79 min

This contemporary British piece veers from ‘kitchen sink’ to chase movie featuring some powerful acting turns. Ian Hart is superb as feckless Liverpool painter and decorator Joe, who ran out on his young family years earlier. Newcomer Kyle Ward plays his son Robbie, now 14 and also a dad after getting a girl from school pregnant. Father and son haven’t seen each other for years but Robbie recognises Joe from photos when he spots him on the street. What begins as an acute little film about broken families takes a surreal turn as Robbie goes on the run with his new baby and with Joe in desperate pursuit.