The Boys Are Back
Clive Owen in The Boys Are Back
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By Tom Powell. |  |
Monday, 18, Jan 2010 01:36
Directed by Scott Hicks, out January 22nd in cinemas, starring Clive Owen, Laura Fraser, Nicholas McAnulty , running time 104 mins.
What's it all about?
Scott Hicks, the director of the Oscar-winning Shine, adapts Simon Carr's popular memoir of a British man living in Australia who sees his world turned upside down by the sudden death of his wife.
While struggling to deal with his own loss, Joe (Clive Owen) also faces the heavy responsibility of bringing up his six year-old son Artie. The daily struggles of single parenthood are amplified as both father and son express their grief is desperately contrasting ways - Artie through the brutal bluntness that comes with early childhood while Joe turns to drink and becomes obsessed with continual feelings of hopeless isolation.
As Joe attempts to get his and Artie's lives back on track, Harry - his teenage son from his first marriage - arrives in Australia looking to escape his constricting English boarding school while attempting to reconnect with his wayward father.
An endearing tale of discovery develops as Joe and his two sons re-establish their family ties as the emotional father develops somewhat controversial parenting skills, adapted around the phrase "Just Say Yes". The family unit blossoms until circumstances split them apart once more, causing them to question whether their utopian family philosophy can truly exist in the real world.
What the others say
"It has the same understanding of male emotions as a Nick Hornby bestseller and could be that rare warmhearted weepie with an appeal that spans the genders and generations." - Allan Hunter, Screen International
"The film seems to regard Joe with affection, and Owen certainly portrays him as a nice man. But why are his unformed theories about bringing up Artie supposed to fill us with affection and sentiment?" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times
So is it any good?
Owen is hugely believable as the flawed Joe forced into to becoming the father figure he never planned on being. The story is genuinely uplifting as a tale of breaking free from the climate of fear we live in today. Seeing the children released to exist in such a world is constantly touching as is the pain experienced by Joe and Artie when the nucleus of their lives disappears.
As well-paced and inspiring as Owen's performance is, the real star is six-year-old Nicholas McAnulty. His first acting performance is astonishing in its display of childhood naivety. The Australian soars throughout the film and it's a testament to the brilliance of his performance that at no point do you stop believing in him as Artie or indeed as Owen's son.
Wonderful turns by both coupled with beautiful shots of southern Australia and an inspiring soundtrack make for a hugely warming, but crucially realistic, film.
8/10
Richard James