Bookworm has a quirky charm with an improbable story line which is likely to appeal more to children than to adults.
The bookworm of the title is Mildred (Nell Fisher), a precocious 11-year-old New Zealander who meets her American father Strawn for the first time after her mother is unexpectedly hospitalised.
Mildred is not too happy when Strawn (Elijah Wood), an unsuccessful illusionist, turns up and tries to impress her with card tricks.
But she is excited when he agrees to take her camping. She wants to search for the mystical Canterbury panther, hoping to win the $50,000 reward offered for video proof of the creature’s existence.
It is no surprise when they come across the panther in no time and Mildred captures it on her camera, quietly drinking from a stream.
That is the start of an action-packed adventure which starts with Strawn being tricked by a couple of thieves into handing over his wallet, his phone and the all-important camera.
Mildred is angry at Strawn’s gullibility but as they embark on a series of improbable adventures the pair gradually develop a close relationship.
We see them chased through the mountains, trapped at the brink of a deep chasm, threatened by the snarling panther and swinging hand over hand across a single rope spanning the chasm.
They plunge to earth when the panther claws through the rope. Mildred is trapped under a log and Strawn magically summons the strength to release her.
On top of that they crash a stolen car when Strawn sees the panther on the road and swerves to avoid it.
New Zealand director Ant Timpson, who wrote the script with Toby Harvard, has structured the film as a madcap fairytale, with chapter titles and a touch of magic.
Nell Fisher, an impressive actress at the age of 12, is in her element as the book-smart Mildred, hiding her vulnerability behind a mask of over-confidence.
The film is set in the mountainous Mackenzie region of New Zealand’s South Island between Christchurch and Queenstown, and Daniel Katz’s cinematography is spectacular.
Bookworm is now showing at Luna Leederville and Luna On SX.
Watch the trailer…
