Riddle of Fire

This reminded me of the films produced in the UK by the Children's Film Foundation. It all centres around the adventures of three paintball-armed kids who meticulously plan a raid on a warehouse that holds games consoles. They manage to pinch one and get it home, but there they find that the television needs a password! That requires their mother - poorly with flu in bed upstairs. They manage to get her to agree to release the code if they go get her a blueberry pie. Snag? Well the baker's don't have any and the baker is on holiday. Then they decide to try to make one themselves, so coax the recipe out of "Miss Celia" (Colleen Baum) and head to the supermarket to "borrow" the ingredients. The last, most vital, speckled eggs is stolen from under their nose by "Redrye" (Charles Halford). They're not having any of this so follow him home so they can pinch them back, only to find he is part of a gang led by "Anna-Freya" (Lio Tipton), a witch of sorts, who is determined to kill the 'Prince of the Forest" (a grand and majestic old stag). Luckily for our intrepid trio, her daughter "Petal" (Lorelei Olivia Mote) had snuck out on the hunting trip and soon the four children are using all of their guile to thwart the plans of her mother whilst still getting that elusive egg for the pie! The four children deliver engagingly here with "Alice" (Phoebe Ferro - or maybe a young Dame Anna Wintour) taking charge, Mote enjoying her spell as the mischievous mini-witch and the scene stealing "Jodie" (Skyler Peters). He's the youngest of the group and the most entertaining. The writing quirkily mixes some modern day language with some fun use of Arthurian style ye, thee and whences and when did you last hear a kid (or anyone) use the word scurries? The story is a bit of a mess at times, and the ending a bit rushed and covenient, but I did quite enjoy this enthusiastic romp with a touch of magic and a gently impressed ecological message too.

Is this movie something special? I think some viewers will feel that it is. I think two reasons include: 1) It follows some free-range kids on an "adventure," and 2) The film quality gives it a retro look. These two elements add a sense of nostalgia for filmgoers of a certain age. The fact that the kids just roam the county with no parents checking in on them sets this movie apart from anything else made in a long, long time. There is also a slightly surreal quality to a lot of the scenes; the filmmakers did NOT go for a sense of realism. Instead, the children are able to do and say things that kids would like to be able to do, but never really could in real life. So it's kind of like a stylized way of telling the story from a kid's perspective--kind of like how Night of the Hunter has it's own logic at times. I happened to enjoy it, even when not everything worked 100%. For example, the fabled dance sequence: this should have been a highlight, but I didn't feel like it had the intended effect for me. Still, I very much appreciate that someone was able to get this made, and I would be interested to see what the writer/director does in the future. It's the kind of story I wouldn't mind telling if I were ever to write.

The story is fun; just three kids raising hell one summer around town and the woods. The cinematography is great. It is shot on 16mm stock, so it has a neat 70's kinda vibe. And the music is great. Music reminds me of 80ms fantasy, which is what the dialogue and story alludes to.

But the acting is terrible by almost all actors. Not even Lio Tipton (the only name I recognized on the bill) can save this disaster of a Goonies-wannabe.

However, please still check it out. Worth supporting an indie movie that looks great and has great music and a good story. Hopefully, this director will use this film as a stepping stone, learn from it, and the next film will be better.

You want to reconcile yourself with the magic of life watch "Riddle of Fire".

Brilliant, fun, emotional.

The child that you were resurfaced within you.

The way it is filmed in 16mm take you back in the 70' it gives you the feeling of being in that era.

All the actors the children, the bad and the uggly, the regulars all are authentic no doubt these people exist.

The story is full of twists and turns, unexpected events, you don't get bored for a second.

A wonderful journey that leaves you with a light heart and a smile on your face.

You want to do yourself good, go see the film.

Relax and enjoy.

This movie reminds me a lot of the early children adventures movies I have grown up watching as a kid. A story about adventures, fantasy, friendship, and the journey to find something. Using 16mm film, the filmmaker perfectly captures the essence of children fairytale adventures with gorgeous looking production, camerawork, soundtrack, and really good child performances from the cast members.

The writing and the themes explored fits very well with the setting and direction. Many of the choices made feel childish and strange but it is intentional as it helps add the child-like adventures and craziness that we kids would go through to seek an adventure. With the characters being pretty fun to observe, many of the child performances are really good with each feeling nature and realistic of what how children really act and speak.

Although, it isn't a perfect movie. For a runtime of 114 minutes, it does feel tedious and some of the pacing really did drag the movie that made me zone out a little during the second act. But as a whole, I appreciate the filmmaker being able to capture the tone and atmosphere very well and it's definitely a project that he is passionate about.

But I definitely will be keeping an eye on this director.