The Boys Are Back (2009)

Do not look for comforting resolutions and feather-smoothing platitudes or resolutions in "The Boys are Back."

The strength of this film is the confusion and adjustments of life necessitated by the accidents and the neglections of life. This was thoroughly captured by Allan Cubitt in his narrative adaptation of the episodic novel.

Scott Hicks has managed to reproduce these faults/strengths on film with a sure and loving eye. His work with script, camera and actors reminds me in many ways of the love songs that John Schlesinger sang to those he nurtured onto celluloid.

Clive Owen portrays his universal love and need through the chauvinist characteristics of his daddy hood. A solid harmonic melody consisting of grace notes.

George MacKay's artistic accomplishment as a teenager should not be over-shadowed by the younger actor. Those concerned about the emotional hurts of the "forgotten" child, will find the case for all forgotten children is made and reinforced by Master MacKay.

Then to that younger actor. Nicholas McAnulty as the youngest Warr, is the first "child actor" that has managed to go beyond "Yeah, nice work." for me. I can see, as Mr. Owen has said in an interview, why an actor of Owen's stature and ability adjusted to this boy's genius.

The entire cast, Ms Fraser, Ms Booth, the others cast by Nikki Barrett and Nina Gold, were exemplified by Alexandra Schepisi's mother-in-law. This oft-called "thankless role," sang with her humanism and fiber, especially in her scenes of conflict with Mr. Owen.

I hold this film, this director, this star, these co-stars/supporting actors as both precious additions to my memory bank and a water mark for what I consider art in the world of film.

Thank you, Arlen Dean Snyder

Fmovies: A brilliant movie with emotions perfectly emoted by characters very well etched by the writers. That's what I would like to say about this movie in one word. The director has blended all the factors into one...be it the shots, the music, the characters, the story...all into one. And he has done it in a brilliant way that I felt that I was with those characters living with them. Clive Owen, Laura Fraser, Nicholas McAnulty, George Mackay all did a wonderful job. I did not have any expectation while going into the cinemas to watch this...and when I got out i was feeling very refreshed... A good movie...I recommend it to all.

Clive Owen, I find, utterly boring. His voice, his eyes, his mannerisms--boring. This storyline was plain DRIVEL for me. I am probably the only one who feels this way about Clive, but I just don't get him--ever. And especially in this pathetic presentation. It played like a 1960s 'made of TV' or 'Lifetime Movie'. I don't need 10 lines to re-express, but for whatever reason, IMDb has this '10 line' minimum requirement. Sorry, I even took the time, but I wasted my time by watching this thing, and felt I deserved to voice my opinion. I suppose 'boring' was not exactly correct. Perhaps ANNOYING would be a better choice.

The Boys Are Back fmovies. I guess anyone can try to get their life story out there nowadays, no matter how boring. The only reason I sat through this dull film was to see if something, anything, would happen before it ended. That something happened in the first 5 minutes: Clive Owen's wife of 6 years dies - suddenly, I might add - of cancer. He is left a sullen shell of a man, unable to keep his house clean and look after his young son. True stories usually have something inspirational or redemptive about them. At least they should or it is not a story worth telling. No such luck here. He tries to reconcile with the older son from a first marriage, who lives with his ex-wife half a world away. I could go and tell you how he ambles through each day, but it would be just as boring as it sounds. This film really had nothing to say, and it is easily the worst movie I have seen in years.

I don't have a grudge against this type of movie. I actually am a sucker for a weepie done right. The best examples would be MEN DON'T LEAVE (with Jessica Lange) and of course TERMS OF ENDEARMENT. I am among the few people who have actually seen MEN DON'T LEAVE, and it is a masterpiece. A terrific example of tempering your weepie with humor and interesting characters. I'd sit through it a dozen times.

Going by a superficial examination of director Scott Hicks' latest human drama, The Boys are Back, it might prove incredibly difficult to envision how the story, detailing the death of a spouse, healing through father/son bonding and the struggle to balance personal and selfless agendas in life, could avoid caving to contrived Hollywood sentiment and easy storytelling cliché. However, bearing this concern in mind, Hicks' film can be seen as affirmation to the fact that real stories of loss and emotional rebirth can be told without simply succumbing to excessive saccharine convention while retaining their authenticity, as The Boys are Back fuses humour, heartbreak, power and poignancy with the greatest of ease and with a complete lack of pretension, feeling impressively real and all the more resonant because of it.

While the film could be described as a challenging watch due to its upsetting subject matter, more challenging (in an entirely positive sense) is Hicks' refusal to provide the viewer with 'easy answers' or superficial narrative or emotional closure. Rather than providing a streamlined narrative filled with requisite Hollywood exposition and filler scenes, the film appears to simply jump from scene to scene, providing a clear sense of an overarching narrative, but with more of a clunky, episodic flow, devoting nearly as much emphasis to seemingly banal scenes as Owen's character struggling to do the laundry or leisurely sequences of the boys playing (framed by the sumptuous scenery of Southern Australia)as more pivotal plot points. However, such a narrative style amplifies the sense of realism of the story, as if Hicks' cameras simply happened across the events unfolding rather than them being carefully predetermined for maximum emotional effect, as one might see in a more carefully tailored Hollywood film. Similarly, despite the superficially fragmented sense of narrative, through representing seemingly inconsequential moments interspersed with the major emotional scenes, Hicks' story paradoxically feels all the more flushed out, hinting at a much grander story looming beyond its collection of trace moments, and feeling all the more realistic and impactful because of it.

However, Hicks' film truly excels at providing moments of raw, often tear-jerking emotion, without them ever seeming forced or false. The subtlety and abruptness of Owen's wife falling ill is all the more devastating through its lack of overt begging for sentiment, and many of the scenes of Owen attempting to cheer up his sons are likely to leave few dry eyes in the house through their overwhelming charm and the sheer naturalistic joy they evoke. As such, while the film is not without its occasional faults (rocky patches of dialogue crop up throughout and the story begins to drag as it approaches the end), its sheer power, emotional poignancy and Hicks' refusal to beat the audience over the head continually instils the film with life and immediacy, making it a perpetually interesting watch.

However, as with many such intimate human dramas, it is the strength of the central performers which really drives the film home. Clive Owen is simply flooring as the struggling sports writer attempting to find equilibrium between his own concerns and grief and taking care of his two sons after the unexpected death of his wife. Giving a performance brimming with pathos but also necessary charm, Owen easily delivers his best work to date: a magnificent, unshowy and achingly true portrait of a man in cr

At its core The Boys are Back is nothing new; tales of heartache and sorrow, and the plethora of emotions experienced after a loved one passes away, are a staple of the drama genre. It's thanks to novelist Simon Carr and screenwriter Allan Cubitt that Boys manages to feel fresh - albeit with slightly annoying characters, more on that soon – their book and adaptation, respectively, is in the higher echelon of 'mourning' dramas. The two plots – firstly Joe's new found responsibility to Artie then to his other son Harry, both under different circumstances – mould together seamlessly and never does it appear like they went for too much. Even the small subplots, which can so often be unnecessary, are natural and help boost the already exceptional story.

There is an issue though: the major players can be aggravating on occasion. Joe, a supposedly intelligent person, makes some parental decisions which – grieving a lost one or not – come off as just plain stupid and dangerous; mother-in-law Barbara needlessly spits out some manipulative dialogue; young Artie, possibly due to no fault of his own, at times behaves like a spoilt brat; and every now and then Harry is too whiny, even for a teenager. But hey, don't all family members have their faults? Unfortunately some of these are heightened after a life-changing event.

Greig Fraser's astounding cinematography must be given a mention. The rural South Australian setting is nothing short of breathtaking as Fraser's light green and orange palette gives the location warmth and calmness. The SA government would be well served using some of Boys material, the festival state's tourism would skyrocket. Complimenting the visuals is Hal Lindes terrific acoustic score, his music captures the mood perfectly for the opposing upbeat and pensive moments.

Overall director Scott Hicks has delivered a worthy picture about mourning, adapting and moving on. Would have been excellent if it weren't for the characters intermittently grating on your nerves.

3.5 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)