The Young and Prodigious TS Spivet

Based on the bestselling book by Reif Larsen, this whimsical adventure is a feast for the eyes but only a light snack for the soul. Pint-sized hero TS Spivet is endearingly played by Kyle Catlett, who could so easily have tipped into annoyingly precocious. TS has still to reach puberty and yet he's just invented a perpetual motion machine, leading him to be invited to accept an award at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC - a world away from his Montana home. As he sets out alone, director Jean-Pierre Jeunet goes off on a wild tangent (the novel sees TS celebrated for his map-making skills). But the real point of the journey - which takes the youngster across the heartland of America - is to come to terms with the death of his brother (Jakob Davies). He feels responsible, but surprisingly, the director who made Amélie doesn't handle the emotional heft of the story half as well as he illustrates TS's eccentric coping mechanisms. Flights of imagination are vividly drawn (and even more breathtaking in 3D), helping to roll over the bumpier parts, while Helena Bonham Carter adds a touch of gravitas as the boy's mum. This is a flawed but inventive look at the world from a unique perspective.