Thumbsucker

Writer-director Mike Mills tells the story here of Justin Cobb (Pucci) a young man who still sucks his thumb at 17! His orthodontist (Reeves) uses hypnosis to alter things but Justin's problems are more deep-rooted, privately he fears his mother (Swinton) will leave he and his father (Vincent D'Onofrio).

A latent rites-of-passage tale, Thumbsucker won two prizes at Sundance and Berlin respectively, both prizes acknowledging the great acting of Lou Pucci, and the film as a whole is a genuine and funny film that honestly looks at growing up and those in middle age who are still clinging to the vestiges of youth. Adapted from a novel by Walter Kim, Thumbsucker will appeal to those who like to see rounded characters and characters who are both flawed in their own way but genuine for that.

Matt Arnoldi