The impressive directorial debut of Jordan Roberts, co-writer of Big Hero 6, is the quirky and moving adventure of eccentric 8-year-old Wes, who believes that he is in fact a Mongolian goat herder.
=0D=0A=Wes’ parents (Vera Farmiga, Martin Csokas) have recently experienced a family tragedy and are struggling to recover. Meanwhile Wes, who is working on a school project about Mongolia, comes to believe that he belongs there.
Wes befriends Ismail (Suraj Sharma), an Indian immigrant who is captivated by Wes’ story. The two of them decide that Wes must go to Mongolia where Ismail will make a documentary about the adventure. The story goes viral when they begin crowdfunding for the trip. Soon Wes finds himself running with the goats in the hills of Mongolia.
Canada’s Jacob Tremblay is exemplary as Wes and proves that his role in the award-winning Room was no fluke. Tremblay and Farmiga are pitch perfects as the parent-child team, just as the young actor was with Brie Larson in Room. While the film is accessible for general audiences and a true pleasure visually, it’s not a family film. Burn Your Maps has many twists and turns, and it ventures into some uncharted emotional territories.
=0D=0A=Release Year: 2016
Runtime: 102 minutes
Directed By: Jordan Roberts
Genre: Adventure