Review of Guys Reading Poems (2016) by Angie W — 25 Feb 2018

Guys Reading Poems coalesces beautiful graceful cinematography, stunning poetry, powerful acting, and a compelling storyline within the parameters of a black-and-white film by which a young boy is locked in a puppet box as his disturbed mother creates an art installation around his imprisonment.

The fact that Hughes is able to accomplish these things with such a dark subject matter and a limited setting is a feat in and of itself. But he goes beyond that feat by imbuing his film with soulful meaning and metaphor, as the guys reading poetry function as fragments of the boy's psyche, as well as shards of his eloquent imagination.

This is a film about the human spirit's will to not only survive but heal. When the boy finally confronts his mother as a young man, he steps from his imaginative realm into the gritty bare space of realism, and Hughes handles this with aplomb in both the characters' interactions and the break from silence into the spoken word, as a majority of the film is narrated through spoken poetry.

It's worth mentioning that Hughes also delivers two original poems during the film that hit all the right notes in terms of impact. In summation, Guys Reading Poems will leave you wondering, feeling, and marveling long after its viewing.

It is an innovative film of rare beauty and heart. See it!