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mu TIME KILLER (18) 100mm 0..

TADPOLE

(15) 79min 0..

If Holden Caulfield had had an affair to remember with Mrs Robinson. the resulting romantic drama would form the basis for this film. Tadpole. directed and co-written by American indie filmmaker Gary Winick. combines elements of both the novel The Catcher in the Rye and the film The Graduate (the latterisevenname- .a. " '2" ' u :. checked in Winick‘s

film).

Winick's version of JD Salinger‘s troubled teenage-outsider is Oscar Grubman, a self-styled renaissance boy who considers himself to be sensitive and passionate, ' 2' '. " :‘ . ' 1." -.' i : is fluent in French, reads the classics and is of the opinion that Voltaire had a sense of humour (itself ' " ' ' ironic, as Oscar doesn‘t).

Returning from boarding school to the swanky New York apartment of his academic father Stanley :w . . .. ..

(John Ritter) for Thanksgiving, Oscar aka Tadpole (Aaron Stanford) confides in his best pal, Charlie ~ 4- . " , '~ ~r »

(Robert ller), that he's going to declare his thus far unrequited love for his stepmother, Eve (Sigourney ' -' " " " -v ' -4 ' '

Weaver). Later that night, drunk on love and whiskey, Oscar ends up in the sack with his Mrs . : :

Robinson. But this Mrs R, as it turns out. isn‘t his stepmother but her best pal Diane (Bebe Neuwirth), a bored middle-aged, middle-class New Yorker bemused by the boy and unconcerned about the potentially disastrous repercussions of their fling.

Winick extracts from the elicit romantic encounter a great deal of mean-minded fun as the thoroughly irritating spoilt brat becomes increasingly anxious that his true love will find out about him and her pal. Diane, meanwhile, lets Tadpole squirm helplessly and at one point she introduces the pretty boy to her circle of lustful female friends - until their secret is, inevitably. discovered.

But where The Graduate stuck the knife in and twisted the drama, Tadpole plays nice. Diane isn‘t at-all the deeply bitter woman Mrs Robinson was. Neither is Oscar the messed up kid Holden Caulfield was. Thus, the repercussions of their fling are slight. Perhaps that‘s because Winick’s film skips over any difficulty Oscar‘s parents have coming to terms with what‘s happened to the boy. And the relative ease with which Oscar gets over Eve just doesn't ring true. It all adds up to a pleasant, if mild, comedy of manners.

Still, the characterisations are spot-on and the fine cast do justice to them. Neuwirth, in particular, is a delight. (Miles Fielder)

I SO/OCIOU recast) "(W r’-' :‘(J

Frogspawn and adultery

Acnom BASK: vsgwwoe

A vicious tale of revenge, redemption, loyalty and love

Filmmaker Jenn MCT (3"";‘:"':: came seems it: “are gym; "1:: a.

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