The Boys Are Back: DVD Review
The Boys Are Back
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From the Academy award nominated director of Shine, Scott Hicks
comes this wonderfully underrated drama starring the ever suave
Clive Owen.
Owen stars as Joe, a wise cracking sports journalist and absentee
father (due to work) in south Australia.
He's got a pretty sweet life; a wife Katy (Laura Fraser) whom he
adores and a six year old Artie (a brilliant, crowd winning
performance from Nicholas McAnulty) whose hedonistic enthusiasm for
life keeps him on the move.
But when his wife suddenly dies, Joe finds himself having to run
the house and is forced to reconnect with his son. That's not the
half of it though - as his teenage son Harry (McKay) from his
previous marriage is heading over from the UK to stay.
Suddenly Joe is facing responsibilities and emotions he'd long
forgotten&
Based on the memoir by Simon Carr, The Boys Are Back was criminally
ignored on its general release in cinemas. It is a sensitive look
at a father's relationship with his sons, brilliantly handled by
director Hicks and masterfully performed by McAnulty and
Owen.
With its low key warmth and heart, as well as heartbreak, I think
it's fair to say that you'll be hard pushed to find a more poignant
film about the complicated relationship between a father and his
son.
Extras: A Little lacking here - just deleted
scenes and a photographic journey.
Rating: 8/10
