Film Forum

Starring Alan Cumming, this “eccentric little gem of a story is a tall tale told with irreverent cheer and considerable charm” (Fionnuala Halligan, Screen Daily). It’s a buoyant, inventive documentary/animation hybrid about a legendary hoax that winds the clock back to suburban Glasgow, 1993. The posh Bearsden Academy takes note of a new student – Brandon Lee (not the actor), who says he moved to Scotland after his opera diva mother died in a car accident. Initially awkward, Lee impresses his teachers and fellow students (who include the filmmaker) with his broad knowledge and savoir-faire. But some things don’t add up: He looks a bit older than a teenager, drives a car, enjoys postpunk music, and seems wise beyond his years. McLeod employs brightly-colored, ‘90s-style animation alongside lively testimonials from Lee’s teachers and school mates. Cumming plays Lee, adroitly lip-synching to a real audio interview with the subject.

2021   104 MIN.   UK   MAGNOLIA PICTURES

Reviews

“Exceedingly creative and endlessly clever. It unfolds onscreen in its own way, low-key brilliant.”
- David Fear, Rolling Stone

“Just a flat-out fun documentary. A tale of a very weird event at a Scottish school in the 1990s. It’s a romp.”
- Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

“A classic unreliable-narrator doc. Always fun to watch.  Enjoyably odd. Stylish and inventive.”
-  Steve Pond, The Wrap

“Astonishing. A nostalgic look at the strange but true story of his former classmate… told through playful, period-specific animation, a riveting soundtrack, the memories of students and teachers, and Alan Cumming.” 
- Anthony D’Alessandro, Deadline

“Deliciously compelling.” 
- Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter