Review of Borstal Boy (2001) by Jim C — 12 Jun 2010

I've had such a tremendous run of luck with foreign and independent films from Netflix. I wasn't really sure what 'Borstal Boy' was about and I picked it more for the length of the film than for any other reason because I had only an hour and a half before I needed to be doing something else.

What a well spent 90 minutes it turned out to be. The British have an inimitable way with drama; we Americans don't have a horse in that race when we're up against them and this movie proves it.

You sensed from the very first scenes that it was going to be a good movie, but the latrine scene with the boys, Brendan Behan and Charlie Milwall played by Shawn Hatosy and Danny Dyer respectively, gave you a sense that there would be no histrionics, no bleeding pathos here.

What you knew was that there would be fine acting ahead. I greatly admire Peter Sheridan's direction, especially given the topic - he could have taken it over the top, but he kept the keel even. We Americans, even we gay Americans, sometimes shy away from bringing a gay scene into a situation but the British don't bat an eye and lay everything out for everyone to see.

That's a good approach and 'Borstal Boy' proves it. That the story was true does nothing to remove the art from it, and that it was artfully played doesn't diminish the truth. I very highly recommend this movie, to both my gay, and my straight friends.