Give Them Wings

Absolute belter of a film ... Very well acted by everyone as you can see they all put their heart and soul into this. The film itself was gritty and heart warming all at the same time and left you feeling good afterwards which is quite rare in films nowadays. I for one thoroughly enjoyed it and was proud to say I attended the first Darlington premiere and witnessed the first reaction of the audience which was brilliant.

This film deserves more awards and the director did the book and Paul Hodgson justice although the films ending was not apparent in the pages.

The movie "Give them Wings" is a predictable drama that drags on at the expense of an excess of tragic moments and emotional tensions of all kinds.

The movie is based on real facts and explores the highs and lows of Paul Hodgson's life and his experiences as a disabled person after getting meningitis when he was still a baby.

Director and writer Sean Cronin uses and abuses all the ingredients to make this story so melodramatic only to have a redemptive ending. Some scenes are meaningless, i.e. The beating Paul gets from a group of tugs, Paul and Ian in the bedroom singing Radio gaga, etc.

The cast also leaves something to be desired, it is very difficult to believe in some characters, especially Paul's mother, father and sister.

I believe that Paul would be more satisfied if the director had chosen to create a story, where the theme was more his courage to face all obstacles than just feeling sorry for his condition.