Nearly two years after its release in the United Kingdom the delightful coming of age story, Sixty Six, should please domestic audiences that manage to find the film during its limited release. While the ethnic overtones might make the picture seem as if it was geared towards a segmented audience, the familial themes make Sixty Six a fuzzy and warm piece that everyone can enjoy.

Bernie Rubens (Gregg Sulkin) feels neglected. His family doesn’t pay any attention to him. He’s an outcast at school. With his thirteenth birthday quickly approaching Bernie sees his opportunity to make an impact on the world by throwing the greatest Bar Mitzvah ever. However when the Sixty Six World Cup Tournament seemingly sets his native country of England on a fast track for the finals, Bernie worries that his shrinking guest list will set the event on a crash course for disaster.

While the independent picture, whose biggest headliner is the wonderfully talented Helena Bonham Carter, obviously wasn’t ever destined for a wide, domestic release, it surely will melt the hearts of viewers that catch it. Letting his experience with comedy guide him, Paul Weiland, who spent quite a few years devoting his time to Mr. Bean, as well as more recent fodder like Made of Honor, manages to keep the simple premise entertaining throughout it’s running time.

Obviously a twelve year old planning an ancient Jewish ritual could easily drag, yet the poor mishaps of Bernie Rubens seemingly never get tiring. Bernie is the preverbal underdog, and you can’t help but want to see him show the world the greatest Bar Mitzvah of all time. However life, and another underdog, the national British soccer team, keeps getting in his way.

Bernie’s father, played by character actor Eddie Marsan, is at the root cause of most of these life problems. Stuck in his ways, his stubbornness and his undiagnosed OCD makes him the constant foil to Bernie’s scheme. While the film indeed starts on a rather lighthearted note, showing just how unlucky both Bernie and his father really are, Sixty Six gets surprisingly serious in tone. In fact after a while you begin to ask yourself, just how much more misery is Weiland going to put these loveable, goofball characters through?

Luckily the structure of the film, which uniquely follows the pace of the World Cup tournament, leads up to a rather rousing and emotional climax that should leave audiences both happy and satisfied. The film, which should inspire youngsters as well as adults, takes a familiar narrative style akin to The Sandlot, A Christmas Story and other classic family pictures. Of course audiences looking to bring younger viewers should be aware there is very minimal, sexually suggestive content and one very appropriate use of the mother of all swear words.

Quirky and uniquely funny, Sixty Six is a charming picture well worth seeking out during its limited theatrical release. Had the film not been in a holding pattern for so long, it might have made you anxious to see what Paul Weiland had up his sleeve next. Sadly though time has already revealed that disaster….. 

-Joe Russo