Review of Boy A (2008) by Andrew O — 11 Oct 2008
Originally made for TV, but given an international cinema release after an award-sweeping festival run, Boy A is a film that reminds you what films can be, and do. It's extremely real, yet incredibly cinematic (cinematography and compositions are stellar) - the script and direction are smart and subtle, and the performance of Andrew Garfield in the lead is heartbreaking.
It takes a complex subject matter - the possibility of rehabilitation with a horrific childhood crime in one's past - and explores it with genuine compassion and empathy, without easy platitudes or sentimentality.
The tension is held at a pitch that puts most thrillers to shame, and once it's over, the film will haunt you for days. And it reaches further than simply asking if redemption is possible for such a person (for any of us) - it asks if we, as a society, are able to give it.
Brilliant, and about as highly recommended as a movie gets.
This review of Boy A (2008) was written by Andrew O on 11 Oct 2008.
Boy A has generally received very positive reviews.
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