The Young Film Critic Awards

PADDINGTON 2

IF The Herald’s Young Film Critic Competition was a movie, the winners would be announced via a series of spinning front pages which come to a stop to reveal the front page splash. Alas, we don’t have the budget for such special effects on this page, so here, old school, is the news you need to know. The winners are James Gower, 11, for his review of Paddington 2, and Elle-Rose Fotheringham, 15, for her piece on Supa Modo. The winners, from Larbert High School in Stenhousemuir, also receive a goodie bag from Into Film, the education charity which runs a free, annual film festival for young people. Thank you to everyone who entered.

Paddington 2 is a hilarious family friendly film directed by Paul King, who also directed the previous film in the series. Starring Ben Whishaw and Peter Capaldi, it follows Paddington bear’s attempts to get the perfect birthday present for his auntie.

A great addition to the cast is Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson). He made me cry with laughter the moment he appeared. One of the funniest moments was a scene with Paddington, Knuckles and marmalade. Overall the film made me fall in love with the bear for the second time. I left the cinema with a massive smile on my face.

SUPA MODO

Supa Modo is a Kenyan drama, directed by Likarion Wainaina, which tells the story of a little girl, Jo, who is terminally ill.

Jo’s sister Mwix comes up with the idea of making a movie with Jo (Stycie Waweru) as a superhero with magical powers who fights off evil. The film skilfully highlights the themes of family, friendship and community as everyone in the village converges to make Jo’s dreams a reality.

ELLE-ROSE FOTHERINGHAM