Review of The Butcher Boy (1998) by Eric R — 17 Nov 2011

Francie is a young boy growing up in Dublin. Like most boys he has an active imagination and he spends most of his time running around with his best friend Joe. His father is a violent, alcholic who can't spend even a few hours; his mother, a manic depressive who is clearly contemplating suicide.

Particularly after the suicide of his mother, which his father blames him for, Francie becomes a more and more troubled soul. The Butcher Boy is a strange, dark, yet comical at time, examination of a young boys transformation from a normal mischievous boy to a dark, mean spirited individual.

This film is a character study of Francie, played brilliantly by Eamonn Owens. It's truly remarkable how strong of a performance he gives, being a child actor. His personality just jumps off the screen as this scary yet almost charming character.

The film focuses on how family history, environmental factors, and emotional/psychological oppression can lead to terrible results. One aspect of the film which I really enjoyed was the narration by Eamonn himself and how Neil Jordan uses this narration to get deeper into the psychological state of young Eamonn.

We get a great understanding of his mindset through this and exactly how mentally unstable he is as the film progresses. The film really balances style and substance to create a strong cinematic experience.