Review of Boy A (2008) by Lorenzo V — 06 Oct 2008

"Who Decides Who Gets A Second Chance?"Having been institutionalized for most of his life, Jack (Andrew Garfield) is finally released from prison at the age of 24. He and another boy murdered a child when they themselves were children.

The film follows Jack's attempts to readjust to the world outside of confinement and restart a life which never really got going.Under the fatherly mentoring of Terry (Peter Mullan), his parole contact and social worker, he experiences a coming of age, which would normally have happened years ago.

Forces from the past are constantly upon him. As we learn more about the events leading up to the crime which has ruined so many lives, there is an increasing sense of suspense, intrigue and ultimately doom: the tabloid press and Terry's real son are not going to let things lie.

Definitely one of the best films I've seen this year. This came as a shock to me because I have never heard of this film beforehand. But because of the buzz that's been circling around this film I decided to buy me a copy of this one and man, was I surprised.

This film tackles the idea of second chances and starting life all over. Boy A is visually stunning. The acting is astounding, credit goes to up and coming talent Andrew Garfield and the raw emotion that he invested in the character.

It was very convincing and all the while, heart breaking. He carries the film from start to end and you can't help but notice his presence from the get-go. It just goes to show that you don't need big explosions and loud, noisy scenes to make an excellent movie.

With all the rubbish Hollywood's been releasing these days, its nice to see films like these just circling around, silently building its audience fan base and through the word of mouth, it spreads and it spreads.

Boy A is highly recommended.