No man is an island - Jon Bon Jovi
We all know that Jon Bon Jovi did not say that ' No man is an island', but it has become a lasting quote that supersedes the film. The quote became a saying that was synonymous with my early twenties. Single men began to use the quote without ever seeing the film. That is what this film has done, create quotes from a book into film and make them more famous than the film itself.
Now, I will be honest, I have read many books by Nick Hornby, but alas this is one that I missed and never really knew about until the film came out. I would love to say it does the book justice but I plain just don't know. I will also say the reason that I now won't go back and read the book is because I don't want the film to become a poor comparison.
To say I love this film would be accurate, for me to say it is a great film would not be the case. It is not to say that it is a bad film. I am not influenced by the emotional state, or the time in my life when I first saw it. I think this is a timelessly good film, not great, but I will come to that in more detail later.
The opening sequences of the film knit very well together, in a short space of time you get invested in both the main characters and you are left anticipating the inevitable clash of lifestyles. The single 'Island' 38 year old man and the troubled 12 year old boy that is living with deep emotional issues with his mother. This is testament to both the director and the two main cast.
Hugh Grant as Will is very believable and for me a breath of fresh air with his casting. I have been asked who I think would have been better cast as Will, I honestly think that he is the only person who I think was right for the script. The majority of Grant's previous roles had him as the bumbling British nice guy who used expletives humorously and if anything I would say he swears less in this role than his previous. So taking this nice guy persona that he has always played and casting him to play such a self centred, very honest and shallow man who does nothing with his life is a contrast that makes you appreciate his performance even more.
"I'm bloody Ibiza" - Will (Hugh Grant)
His companion Marcus, who challenges Will in this tale, brings us the introduction of Nicholas Hoult in his breakthrough role. To be fair to Hoult its not the best child performance you will see, there are moments where you see him lack in his acting ability, with a level of newcomer naivety. That being said, you can see a number of glimpses into the future that have become his Hollywood career and there are times where he runs with his character and makes it his own. The chemistry between Grant and Hoult is clear, you can see that there are scenes where they enjoy the roles and the interactions in scene.
When we get through the opening scenes we become accustomed to the dry whitted voice overs of each of the main characters, for this is ultimately a tale of two people lost in their lives and the impact the opposing personality has on each of them. Will (Grant) typifies this with his first encounter with his niece. You very quickly realise how self involved Will is, when he confesses he shouldn't be her godfather because 'I'll forget all her birthdays until her 18th, when I'll take her out and get her drunk and possibly, let's face it, you know, try and shag her'. It's this level of acceptance and honesty that makes you accept Will and have no real hard feelings towards him. He is a single person and knows his faults.
When the two meet there is humour right from the start, the discovery that Will lives off the royalties of his father's Christmas hit song, to the lies he is trying to cover up and to the scene everyone remembers as the 'dead duck day'. There is the obvious clash of cool man Will and vegetarian hippy raised kid that is Marcus.
As the story develops, you see the subtle changes in their personas. One side is Marcus who comes from the view that two people together isn't enough, because if you lose the other then 'you're stuffed'. The other is a man who truly believes he is an island. The analogies of both lifestyles continue to be expressed in unique and perfectly apt ways, as we continue to see how their relationship grows.
Toni Collette is magnificent as usual in her role as Marcus's troubled mum, and the small part that Rachel Weisz plays, makes a good addition to the ensemble. There is no need to develop on this as they are both cast and executed with the reflection of the glittering careers they have both had.
I didn't experience a lull when watching this film and never have in the past. This is helped by the unique soundtrack from Badly Drawn Boy which is a huge. The standout song 'Minor Incident' is so strangely upbeat, but lyrically apt for such an emotional driven scene. It really takes you by surprise and for that I appreciate both scene and song even more. When talking to my brother he made a point of saying that the soundtrack is amazing. He urged me to write about it and how could I not, for I unreservedly say it is an aspect that sets the film apart from others in its genre.
"Best CD soundtrack I have" - Tony Williams
Approaching the end of the film, all I would say is, have ever been so into a song so completely emerged, you close your eyes when you sing it? If so, you will adore the cringeworthy school talent show that solidifies the journey both Will and Marcus have taken. I won't say any more for fear of spoiling the appreciation you experience as we reach the closing of the story.
So it comes to my assessment of the film, as I say do love it, The emotional journey and I the honesty and simplicity of the tale. Essentially it's a simple story, whilst watching you wouldn't necessarily agree with me, but it is only when you sit and reflect you will see how emotionally simple it really is. I wouldn't say you would ever be surprised as to where the story ends, but I think you will be surprised how you get there. I think we see a bit of ourselves in each one of the characters, but that is in no small part owed to the genius that is Nick Hornby as a phenomenal author.
As I say I love this movie, but do I think it reaches the level of greatness? No I don't. But I can't put my finger on quite why I wouldn't say it is an all time great. I would accept any view on why this would be, however it just isn't at that level for me.
As I am sure you can tell this film has a place in my heart, but I won't let that cloud my judgement when talking about it. I would recommend anyone to spend the time watching About a Boy, I think any sceptics would be pleasantly surprised.
Farquaad's Rating - 3.5 Star or 7/10
IMDB - 7/10 (162,780)
Metascore - 75 (38 Critic Reviews)
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