Sixty Six

Sixty Six

In the summer of 1966, England is swept by World Cup fever. 12-year-old Bernie Reuben is also excited but for a different reason. He is looking forward to his Bar Mitzvah, the day when he becomes a man. However, the 1966 World Cup Final is scheduled for the very day of his Bar Mitzvah, leading to a potentially disastrous day. Combined with the possibility of Bernie’s family losing their business and the problems caused by Bernie’s rebellious older brother, it seems certain that the most important day in Bernie’s life so far is going to be highly underwhelming. Reminiscent in terms of plot and humour to Jack Rosenthal’s BAR MITZVAH BOY, Paul Weiland’s semi-autobiographical story of his own Bar Mitzvah is a fine combination of drama and comedy and features some outstanding performances. Gregg Sulkin’s performance as the geeky and neurotic protagonist shows great maturity in his first film role, while seasoned character actor Eddie Marsan (V FOR VENDETTA, MIAMI VICE) gives a marvellous performance as Bernie’s OCD suffering dad Manny.