If you have Scottish ancestry, have visited Scotland, heard of Scotland or haven’t even thought about it, then you will like this good ole fashioned feel good true story.

In case you haven’t already guessed, this movie titled “My Life So Far” is based in Scotland, complete with accents, kilts, banter and blether. The only thing lacking and for some of you this will be good news, is the over use of the bagpipes.

The lead role is played by a bairn, we’an or whatever your culture calls a child. But don’t let this put you off. Robbie Norman who I have never heard of before or since does an excellent job of playing Fraser Pettigrew, a kinda cool and snooty boy growing through his hormonally-unbalanced years. His on screen father Edward played by Colin Firth is a loveable and some what useless character who also contributes a notable performance. Irčne Jacob, playing the role of Fraser’s uncle’s fiancée-come wife whose performance can best be described as stereotypically movie French, seemed to slot in easily to her unconventional fun loving and slightly rebellious character. The only player to let down the side was Fraser’s rather flimsy mother Moira, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Her Scottish accent sounds distinctively North American.

The story pretty much follows the life of Fraser from a baby scaling buildings to an adolescent discovering his sexuality. The movie portrays very well a healthy relationship between an imperfect father and his imperfect son. It clearly depicts Fraser searching for himself and his independent role in life as his father is pushed out from the centre of his universe and replaced by the earthly fruits that the world has to offer.

My favourite scene in the movie would have to be where Edward, whilst walking to church is sent home to look for his son. Upon entering the home he hears the evil voice of Louis Armstrong coming from his lounge room. He quietly enters the room to see his young son listening to this forbidden music supplied by his French aunt, smoking a cigar, drinking what looks like Bailey’s Irish Cream and looking at pornography. Rather than rebuke his already rebelling son he chooses to give him a little space to grow up and quietly leaves the room. Good parenting, bad parenting; your choice.

And my other favourite scene was watching and listening to the cooks blether away whilst plucking chooks. Maybe today Scottish women have given up on plucking chickens but I know for sure your average Scot still definitely hasn’t given up on the wee blether. This scene made me quite homesick for the country that was once my home.

“My Life So Far” is safe to watch with friends and respected company alike. Really it is a pretty safe movie. I rate the movie 5 out of 10 or maybe 6, this would be the nicest Scottish movie that I have seen, but it scores low because it just lacks the angst and depression that seem to create the great story lines that I find synonymous with the high quality of the Scottish film industry.

Q: What do you get when you cross a murder, a musical, death row and Denmark?

A: Dancer in the Dark an excellent movie, but that kind of excellent movie that you just don’t need to watch.

I do not know if what made this movie so good was Bjork’s amazing acting or her ice thawing singing. But from start to finish in a thoroughly chilling way playing Selma the deranged, beautiful, totally out for lunch, artistic and loyal solo mum, she was nothing short of awesome. Catherine Deneuve playing her faithful friend and Aunt was also superb.

The movie is based in Washington, USA and but was filmed in Denmark and totally lacked the standard European racism toward Americans.

Selma was a young romantic immigrant artistic mother. She worked in a factory making sinks; her two passions in life were dancing and saving for her son’s eye operation. It just so as happens that her neighbour/landlord decides that he wants the money more. In desperation and confusement after being provoked the now almost blind Selma kills him.

It seemed like everyone was so nice to Selma, everyone seemed to want to help her. But in what I would describe in a totally Eastern European stubborn way she was unable to accept the hand that was feeding her. With a softer honest heart she could have saved herself, but she couldn’t drop her communist legacy and trust. Trust in her friends, the healthcare system (pre Clinton) or the court system. Her lack of trust killed her.

The movie starts with five minutes of silent abstract art and finishes rather abstractly with a gallows scene that will be screaming around in my head for quite some time.

If the movie wasn’t already weird and disturbing enough, well following Selma’s fantasy life was. She was obsessed with musicals. It seemed like every time the movie peaked and climaxed as it often did, she would disappear into her fantasy world. Then we would be subject to Grease like scenes of Selma and who ever she was with dancing and singing. They were both excruciatingly painful and brilliant. Bjork has a wonderful voice, but you couldn’t hear her due to the anticipation of not knowing what horror was waiting at the end of her fantasy.

This is a movie that you just have not to watch. Don’t miss it, don‎’t invite your friends to watch it with you and don’t watch it alone. It is weird, way left of centre but excellent. 15 out of 10.