The Testimony of Taliesin Jones [ Series: The Testimony of Taliesin Jones ]

Jonathan Pryce heads an impressive cast in this unusual coming-of-age drama that blends nascent spirituality with domestic travails. In rural Wales, bookish 12-year-old Taliesin (John-Paul MacLeod) struggles to deal with the ridicule of his schoolmates and the fallout from his mum's affair with a hairdresser. But when he witnesses ageing piano teacher Billy Evans (Ian Bannen in his final role) performing a miraculous "healing" Taliesin's own faith in God is awakened. There are elements of Rhidian Brook's much admired novel that translate awkwardly here to the screen - the protagonist's relief from the affliction of warts may stretch your credibility. But the sincerity of the performances make this gentle tale a welcome contrast to more crude and worldly depictions of teenage angst.