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Amazon.co.uk Review
The film's wit and amusement comes down to deft and understated directing from Chris and Paul Weitz, and a snappily crafted screenplay from Peter Hedges and the Weitz brothers. Grant clips his hair as well as his vowels for a believable and ultimately sympathetic Will--by far his best performance since Four Weddings and a Funeral. As Marcus, Hoult is convincingly self-dependent, but could have been even more self-absorbed. Toni Colette is a dead-ringer for the well-meaning but ineffectual hippie mother Fiona, while Rachel Weisz gives her best screen performance to date as the attractive and vulnerable Rachel, with whom Will comes of age emotionally. Badly Drawn Boy's soundtrack will delight those who enjoy his brand of reconstituted 1970s Dylan; the title track has a wistful charm and there's a gem of an instrumental in the "Countdown" sequence. About a Boy is in the best traditions of British comedy: enlightening as it amuses, it's a film to enjoy and come back to. --Richard Whitehouse
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Now before anyone thinks I'm having a pop at the film I'm not, the film is still excellent. A wonderful piece of relationship storytelling that is both touching and intelligent and also contains some extremely amusing asides on top.
Hugh Grant is on top form in this and proves that he can play something other than the dizzy floppy haired English Gent. In this he goes through a whole range of emotions and yet pulls it off with a considerable amount of subtly and panache that he remains utterly convincing throughout. Nicholas Hoult is similarly perfectly cast as the solemn misfit 12 year old and works a hundred times better than a "cuter" child star would have done.
However as good as the film is, I would recommend all who enjoyed the film (and those that didn't in fact) to read the original book by Nick Hornby, which includes larger roles for several of the characters, especially the Ellie character, and lots more relationship interplay and the film.
The one criticism of the film is the "happy every after ending" which is just a little bit too happy for anything other than Hollywood but on the whole a well recommended watch.
Much had been made of Hugh Grant's new haircut for the film, gone the floppy fringe and in it's place a new spikier messed up look. Well he may have a new haircut, but he is as likeable as ever, playing something slightly sharper and more complex than the amiable buffoon and delivering an excellent performance. Hoult as Marcus makes an adequate if slightly unspectacular debut, but there is good support from the ever dependable Toni Collette, Victoria Smurfitt and Rachel Weisz. The Badly Drawn Boy soundtrack is excellent even if towards the end the songs begin to sound a little over-familiar.
Overall, I think Hornby can be pleased that his book has been reasonably faithfully interpreted. A few minor changes have occurred (from what I can remember of the book) but as a film by itself, this is a frequently amusing, interesting, bitter sweet drama that is perfect for a night in with the girlfriend.
A fantastic cast and a great soundtrack of Badly Drawn Boy.
A definate film to buy and to watch again and again..
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