Helena Bonham Carter as a Jewish mum

Helena Bonham Carter, the 42-year-old British actress, talks with Globe correspondent Lynda Gorov about playing a Jewish mum in the new British film, "Sixty Six," about a boy whose dreams of a grand bar mitzvah run into trouble when his big day turns out to coincide with the World Cup. An excerpt:

"Unexpected new information about the Oscar-nominated actress ('The Wings of the Dove,' 1997): She's crazy for scrap-booking, a hobby mostly unknown in England; she's got a bit of a mouth on her; and, translucent skin and Merchant Ivory movie credentials aside, she's no corset queen. Turns out she's Jewish on her mother's side. That last bit is actually relevant, in that her latest movie, 'Sixty Six,' has her playing a classic Jewish mother (well, in this case, mum). Initial reaction (mine) aside, it's in fact not the most against-type casting since Melanie Griffith pretended to be a Jewish/Irish secretary/spy in 1992's 'Shining Through.' Bonham Carter actually describes her own heritage as 'Jewish, Catholic, mongrels, paradoxical.' 'My mother was triumphant: 'You're finally playing your roots instead of the English rose,' she said. 'Still, it was a very fine line not to go completely over the top.'"

The film is scheduled to open in Boston on Friday (at the Kendall).

(Photo shows Gregg Sulkin and Helena Bonham Carter in a scene from "Sixty Six.")