This adaptation of Walter Hamilton's novel marks the directorial debut of veteran English producer Jeremy Thomas. It tells how brain-damaged, animal-loving Bobby (Christian Bale) runs away from wicked stepfather De Winter (Daniel Benzali), and ends up in Cornwall. There he meets Mr Summers (John Hurt), who spends his time burying roadkill.
A real oddball of a movie, this is a blend of psychological thriller and ecological parable. Although it's impressively shot in widescreen by Mike Molloy, the film never maintains a consistent tone, with the descent into grotesquerie for the final sequences particularly misjudged. Disappointing.
