Good story, Not enough for a whole film

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This movie finds ace director Pat Jackson reduced to shooting a Children's Film Foundation feature. Fortunately, as usual, his many friends have rallied around. The cast is one of the most extensive ever in this league with Leslie Dwyer, Harry Fowler, Warren Mitchell (especially delightful as a bullying but not overbright crook) and Ian Fleming (incorrectly given as Flemming in the film's credits) all providing delightful cameos. Jackson has made full use of his extensive documentary know-how to film extensively on natural locations – often very effectively, as in the opening chase with the cameras actually mounted in both the pursued and pursuing cars, plus the overhead shots in the garage, the dingy streets in which the boys roam and live, plus the climax at Battersea Park Fun Fair. The film moves at a smart clip and rates as one of the most well-made of all Children's Film Foundation features. Although Jackson's script is perhaps just a little too clever and a little too literary to be wholly convincing, (and also it's a bit hard to believe that the children would not gobble up all the sweets straight away), Jackson has drawn some likable (if a little strained) character studies from the children. The film editing with its elaborate cross-cutting is also far more stylish than the average CFF effort, while the photography, music scoring and sound effects are absolutely first-class. Made at Marlebone Studios.