THE TIGER RISING is an entertaining, magical, heart-breaking film. Middle schooler Rob Horton is an introverted boy who tamps down the pain of his mother's recent death. Alongside this grief, he falls victim to school bullying due to a skin disease and that he lives in a motel.
I connected with Rob very quickly and empathized with his loss. His loneliness is palpable, even though he disguises it with his quiet and polite nature. Initially, he deals with his grief as best he can, by employing his vivid imagination while he whittles wood figures-a craft his mother taught him. But it's when he discovers a caged tiger in the woods owned by the dark and offensive motel owner, that he truly begins to unearth his buried feelings.
Soon Rob meets Sistine Bailey, a new girl in town, who is immersed in her own bout of anguish. Though they have opposing ways of dealing with their pain (Rob is timid and sad, Sistine is sassy and aggressive) they bond over their love of art and their secret of the caged animal.
This isn't a swift-moving film, but I feel the measured pacing helps display Rob's loneliness. I was distracted by Rob's magical imagination, but I think this aspect of the film might appeal to younger viewers. The film holds a particularly surprising and intense scene (no spoilers here) that might be difficult for sensitive younger viewers.
The theme of this movie is releasing caged emotions, and the brightest lights are Christian Convery (Rob) and Queen Latifah (Willie May). Their characterizations, impassioned expressions, and believability outshine the rest.
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a screening from The Avenue & Highland Film Group for this review.
Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.
#TigerRisingFilmMIN #TigerRisingFilm #MomentumInfluencerNetwork.
I connected with Rob very quickly and empathized with his loss. His loneliness is palpable, even though he disguises it with his quiet and polite nature. Initially, he deals with his grief as best he can, by employing his vivid imagination while he whittles wood figures-a craft his mother taught him. But it's when he discovers a caged tiger in the woods owned by the dark and offensive motel owner, that he truly begins to unearth his buried feelings.
Soon Rob meets Sistine Bailey, a new girl in town, who is immersed in her own bout of anguish. Though they have opposing ways of dealing with their pain (Rob is timid and sad, Sistine is sassy and aggressive) they bond over their love of art and their secret of the caged animal.
This isn't a swift-moving film, but I feel the measured pacing helps display Rob's loneliness. I was distracted by Rob's magical imagination, but I think this aspect of the film might appeal to younger viewers. The film holds a particularly surprising and intense scene (no spoilers here) that might be difficult for sensitive younger viewers.
The theme of this movie is releasing caged emotions, and the brightest lights are Christian Convery (Rob) and Queen Latifah (Willie May). Their characterizations, impassioned expressions, and believability outshine the rest.
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a screening from The Avenue & Highland Film Group for this review.
Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.
#TigerRisingFilmMIN #TigerRisingFilm #MomentumInfluencerNetwork.