Review of The Butcher Boy (1998) by Ben U — 20 Jun 2007
My favorite of the Neil Jordan films I've seen. It deals with very disturbing and tragic subject matter in the vein of a dark comedy with the whim and escapism of a child's imagination, which ultimately make it even more tragic and sad.
One of the best films about adolescents to come out of a non Scandinavian country in my mind.
It is a tightly focused character study of Francie Brady played wonderfully by Eamonn Owens. The film also revolves around the bigger ideas of family history and the oppression of psychological and emotional problems by an ignorant and scared culture driven by it's steadfast Catholic values.
Geniusly layered and paced, a film that balances its style and substance to create a full cinematic world.
This review of The Butcher Boy (1998) was written by Ben U on 20 Jun 2007.
The Butcher Boy has generally received positive reviews.
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