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That was an excellent one.

Absolutely the worst movie.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The Wiseman family, a Polish couple and their two children, have been living quietly in East London. The Wisemans are Holocaust survivors. Their working class neighborhood tolerated this Jewish family even though it's clear they don't like them. As the house next door to the Wisemans becomes empty, a new immigrant family arrives. The only trouble is they are Jamaicans and black, so the neighbors concentrate in the new arrivals and they even try to enlist Ruth Wiseman into their ranks in hating the Samuels family.At the center of the story is a sweet boy, David Wiseman, who loves cricket. He is a lousy player. Imagine young David's surprise when the next door neighbors put up a netting in their backyard so Dennis, the patriarch, can teach his young daughter, Judy, in how to play the sport. It doesn't take long for David to try to get on the Dennis' good graces because he sees in him the man that can teach him how to be a good player. By sheer persistence, David becomes a good player and begins to gain acceptance among his peers in school as he makes the cricket team.At the same time, Ruth, who is much younger than her husband, sees also in Dennis a man that is completely different from her own husband. One thing lead to another, and it doesn't take long for Ruth to try to insinuate herself to Dennis, something that he discourages her from doing. David, who has made a good friend in Judy Samuels, has to choose between his newly found school friends and the girl next door on his birthday celebration.A few of the tough youths in the area decide to take a stand and scare the Samuels from leaving their neighborhood. One night David wakes up and watches in horror as his neighbors' house begins to burn. He is instrumental in alerting the Samuels who are the victims of a hate crime just because the color of their skin.Paul Morrison, the writer and director of "Wondrous Oblivion", shows a good understanding for the subject of his film. Mr. Morrison doesn't take sides, he just presents the story that feels real and a situation that could have been plausible. Where he has succeeded is in bringing to life characters that feel as though we might have known them. The director also captures that era in London.Delroy Lindo, a distinguished actor of stage and screen, makes a great impression with his Dennis. Equally sensational is Emily Woof, who as Ruth Wiseman, has the one of the best roles in the film. Ruth, who sees in Dennis all what her man isn't, is naturally attracted to the happy-go-lucky Dennis. Their scenes together at the dance hall and later when she tells him about loving him. Young Sam Smith, who plays David, contributes to enhance the film with his earnest take on the young boy. Leonie Elliott plays Judy Samuels and Stanley Townsend is seen as the elder Wiseman."Wondrous Oblivion" shows an excellent director, Paul Morrison, who is one of the best new talent coming from England.

Wondrous Oblivion is a movie, which is basically about, um, well, Wondrous Oblivion. Philosophies aside, its a very nice natured movie about a young boy, who aspires to be a cricketer, but is a no good at it. It is based on racism, on the minorities living in modern day Britain. It features this kid, who is a scorer in school, though mad about playing it. He has a horde of cricket cards and plays with them at home. Things take a turn, when the next door neighbors come in, and they happen to be immigrants from Jamaica. With cricket in their blood, the next door family, creates a cricket practice nets in their backyard. Yound Mr. Wiseman starts to go there to practice, and soon becomes one of the best players of his team. But in a misunderstanding, which leads to the rift between the families. Amidst all this both families get warnings from nearby hooligans, until they set the immigrants' house on fire. This is a movie, from which we can learn lots of things. With cricket being a backdrop, treated as the universal language of the society, it hints at the message of anti racism. The movie shows a Jewish family and a Jamaican family getting together well. Cricket fans will love cameos of the cricket cards and Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Frank Worrell. Also the exquisite cricket match at the Oval. Its a nice film, British is every aspect. With no nonsense camera work, or some typical Hollywood fashioned stunts. It's just a simple story, with some pleasant background music, proving a point. What more can you ask from a movie ???A richly deserved 8/10 !!!

Eleven-year-old David is so passionate about cricket, he barely notices he doesn't know how to play. But when his cricket-mad new neighbors teach him the game, David begins to emerge from his 'wondrous oblivion'. Trouble is, David's Jewish, his neighbors are Jamaican and this is 1960 in pre-multicultural London.Wondrous Oblivion is a delightful film with an important message. Sam Smith engages as David, and there is a wonderful rapport between him and his neighbors: daughter Judy (newcomer Leonie Elliot) and father Dennis, played by Delroy Lindo from Malcolm X, and Gone in Sixty Seconds. Coincidentally, Jamaican-born Lindo actually grew up in Lewisham, where the film is set, at around the same time.And it's not just David that matures as a result of meeting these happy-go-lucky Caribbeans : his mother Ruth (Emily Woof – The Full Monty, Velvet Goldmine) and father Victor (Stanley Townsend) gradually become less afraid of life. Wondrous Oblivion was written and directed by Paul Morrison, who garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film for his first feature Solomon and Gaenor. Recommended, even if you don't play cricket. ***½/***** stars.

I've not a lot to add to what's already been said (it's nice how movies like this attract intelligent and insightful comments). I didn't think it owed a lot to `Billy Elliot' but there certainly parallels with `Bend it Like Beckham' - sport as a way to acceptance in a new society. The wrinkle here is that young David Wiseman has desire, but no apparent talent. The suspension of our disbelief is severely strained when his new West Indian neighbour Dennis coaches him to competence in his tiny back yard. As coach Ian Holm put it to aspiring Olympian Ben Cross in `Chariots of Fire' `an athlete does not find a coach, the coach finds the athlete'. Well, I suppose Dennis must have seen something in David. And David certainly has dreams of success via his talking cricket card collection. Otherwise this is a perfectly delightful movie about growing up and fitting in. Even David's mother's flirtation with Dennis does not end in disaster. The reactionaries fail to drive away the newcomers and it doesn't even rain at the final cricket match (this can't be England!). Gary Sobers and Frank Worrall (played by actors) turn up. Pretty fanciful but utterly charming.