The film concerns its eponymous protagonist, a teenaged boy in rural Scotland, who spends most of his time in a treehouse watching people through binoculars, can pick locks and is convinced that his stepmother murdered his beloved mother (who drowned in the loch some time earlier). After an argument, he leaves for Edinburgh, where he becomes fascinated with a woman who looks like his mother, follows her and gets a job at the hotel she works at; much of the film concerns the complicated relationship between Hallam and her. The main characters of this film were interestingly complex and the character development and plotting avoided the usual Hollywood clichés that weaken so many films; despite one or two improbable events, the film seemed like a plausibly realistic. One could call it a "modern-day fairytale", I suppose; or perhaps the offspring of Amélie and one of the Belle & Sebastian songs with a vaguely sinister subtext beneath its surface?
By the end, it was a bittersweet sort of film; optimistic though not saccharine. It was also beautifully shot (they made good use of the Scottish landscape and the central parts of Edinburgh where it is set), the soundtrack was superb, and the titles by David Shrigley (in all his eccentric glory) were a nice touch.