Magnetosphere

"Magnetosphere" takes you on a trip that is both magical and very, very real, and therein lies its tremendous draw, appeal, magnetism. I am an impatient viewer normally, but I couldn't take my eyes off the screen! Rose has deftly blended an authentic and moving adolescent narrative with an exploration into the world of synesthesia. The result reveals beneath the anguish of a seemingly ordinary coming-of-age journey, an experience that is unique but also highly relatable. The technical combination of realism and fantasy is handled with skill and care--never too much of either and just the right amount of each, we can both believe and suspend normal belief. And this magic is also thanks to the superb character interpretations by a cast that shines through individual roles and ensemble dynamics. Oh Canada! It is such a pleasure to experience the development of Nicola Rose as a filmmaker and we can't wait to see what comes next!

You have to be ready, in watching this one, to suspend disbelief and accept the world of the movie for what it is. On the one hand, you have a story about a young girl growing up, experiencing her first love, realizing her neurodiversity and coming to terms with loving herself. On the other hand, you have the zanier stories of the weird, often nutty and larger-than-life adults around her. It's a story where these worlds coexist as one. If anything, you get the feeling that one could not exist without the other.

Newcomers Shayelin Martin and Mikayla Kong are stars. Zooey Schneider as the little sister has some of the best lines in the movie. Tania Webb as the mom is an understated revelation, and Patrick McKenna as the goofy dad could not be more expressive. Colin Mochrie is a riot as sort-of-exterminator Gil, Tara Strong embodies the voice of not-quite-evil doll Captain Cassiopeia, and Debra McGrath as a kindhearted art teacher takes what could have been a one note role and fills it with depth and humor. Steven He radiates kindness as the boy too old for Maggie to fall in love with, and Jordyn Gillis is every middle school mean girl you've ever met.

Watch, accept the silliness and the seriousness as part of the same soup, and enjoy.

The talk back host at the end of the screening kept insisting this was a kid's movie. Aside from being a little condescending, I felt she missed the point. The movie (to me) is about recognizing how some of our talents can be both an asset and a curse. The discovery is made by a young teen, since we generally become self-aware around our puberty.

But her age does not detract from the philosophy that what makes us unique or apart needs time to be internalized. Much as I find the term 'individualism' overused and over exploited, the movie celebrates the journey to self-acceptance in a charming way. Neuro-divergence is a real thing, no more no less.

"Magnetosphere," featured during the Dances with Films Festival in NY City in December, is a delightful coming-of-age story of 13 year old Maggie as she deals with the typical adolescent ordeals of a first crush, self-doubt, self-image, ostracism in a new school, and so forth. These issues are compounded by also having to come to terms with her synesthesia and the perceptional issues that make her feel all the more different and awkward. This may seem like a heavy topic but in writer/director Nicola Rose's hands the drama is skillfully levened with welcome doses of both broad comedy and gentle humor.

The performances of Shayelin Martin as Maggie and the other young actors portraying Maggie's sister (played by Zooey Schneider) and her peers (especially, Mikayla Kong, as the girl who befriends Maggie and has her own puppy-love issues to contend with) are uniformly excellent. The adult performers-- Tania Webb as Maggie's mother, Steven He as the object of Maggie's crush, and Debra McGrath, as an understanding art teacher-- hit all the right emotive and gently comic notes. Patrick McKenna, portraying Maggie's eccentric regional theater director dad and Colin Mochrie as a wildly weird, Vietnam vet/burned-out hippie handyman deliver the farce and slapstick with appropriately scene chewing performances. Mochrie's characterization, in particular, plays like an over-the-top version of Bill Murray as Carl in "Caddyshack."

With it's deft blend of comedy and the drama of adolescent angst "Magnetosphere" is a perfect film for a target audience of tweens and young teenagers. It would be right at home as a feature on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel.

What a charming cinematic adventure. "Magnetosphere" is a magical feast. I really enjoyed this coming of age story and was fascinated to learn about synesthesia. The child actors were so enjoyable to watch. Nicola Rose infused the film with such creativity to convey the characters' experiences. Watching this film was heartwarming.

I was fortunate to watch this movie at the NYC premiere where I had the pleasure of listening to other audience members laugh and react throughout. You can tell that people of all ages were reacting either collectively or at different moments. Clearly this film is great entertainment for any generation.