Film review: The Boys are Back

FATHER FIGURE: Clive Owen plays a journalist struggling to bring up his son alone.

A few weeks back ago, Graeme Mason, the new head of our film commission, put a bit of a breeze up the undies of the people who care about such things, when he said that "drama" was now really no more than an "arthouse" genre.

I have pondered that for a while, and can't help but agree with the pixie-like Australian. The Boys are Back is a case in point. In this century, not even Clive Owen can get a domestic drama into a Wellington multiplex.

But make the effort to seek out a cinema that is showing it, because The Boys is a lovely piece of work.

Owen plays an English sports journalist, living in apparent paradise just out of Adelaide, who suddenly finds himself widowed and struggling to bring up his young son alone.

Owen is likeable as hell – even in his character Joe's most prattish moments – while around him a strong support cast, especially Nicholas McAnulty as the six-year-old Artie, and Julia Blake as Joe's mother-in-law, all flesh out some well-written roles with real empathy and good humour. And the cinematography – from Greig Fraser (Bright Star) – is flat-out gorgeous.

Director Scott Hicks (Shine) has got an honest and unpretentious story on to the screen.

The Boys is an appealing and very enjoyable wee film. Try to see it.

THE BOYS ARE BACK
(M)
(104min)
Starring Clive Owen, Nicholas McAnulty, Laura Fraser.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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