A Boy Nerd Becomes a Man Nerd

It's 1966 in London, and the country is caught up in World Cup soccer fever. One person who is feverishly rooting against his countrymen is Bernie Rubens (Gregg Sulkin), a nerdy Jewish boy nearing his thirteenth birthday and bar mitzvah. His entire life has been spent in the background and he relishes the day of his bar mitzvah because he will finally be in the spotlight. It's his time to shine. Unfortunately for him, if  England makes it to the final game of the tournament, the date will coincide with his day of glory and no one will want to come.

With the World Cup serving as backdrop and occasionally taking over "Sixty Six", Bernie faces other problems that include his father's failing grocery store (a new supermarket has opened up next door to the store) and a fire in the attic of their house that erases his father's secret stash of cash. His dad, Manny (Eddie Marsan), is an OCD nebbish who refuses to drive over 25 miles an hour and must check his actions three times before he can relax. There is no evil to Manny. He's just annoyingly depressing to all around him. Bernie's mom, Esther (Helena Bonham Carter), truly loves Manny despite all of these shortcomings. It's a bit difficult to picture a woman as pretty as her in this sort of relationship but I've known more unlikely couples in real life.

As his parents' monetary lives unravel, Bernie starts to lose hope. All he has left is to root against the home soccer team. Unfortunately for Bernie, England is beating the heavy odds against them and advancing through the tournament. And you can figure out where this situation is headed.

Despite being a bit on the schmaltzy side and blatantly manipulative, "Sixty Six" is a pleasant surprise. Eddie Marsan in particular does a brilliant job with his role as Bernie's father. He is one hundred percent thoroughly believable as a neurotic with almost no visible personality. With a lesser actor as the father, "Sixty Six" might have been an unmitigated disaster. With him, it is often funny and occasionally compelling. Go see "Sixty Six" and watch a nerd become a man.