About a Boy (2002)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Available on Blu-ray Disc (Region B)UK/USA/France 2002 English (Colour); Comedy/Drama/Romance (Universal/StudioCanal/Tribeca/Working Title); 101 minutes (12 certificate)Crew includes: Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz (Directors); Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz (Screenwriters, adapting Novel by Nick Hornby **** [8/10]); Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Brad Epstein, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner (Producers); Nick Hornby, Lynn Harris (Executive Producers); Remi Adefarasin (Cinematographer); Jim Clay (Production Designer); Nick Moore (Editor); Badly Drawn Boy (Composer)Cast includes: Hugh Grant (Will Freeman), Toni Collette (Fiona Brewer), Rachel Weisz (Rachel), Nicholas Hoult (Marcus Brewer), Isabel Brook (Angie), Sharon Small (Christine), Victoria Smurfit (Suzie)Academy Award nomination: Adapted Screenplay; BAFTA nominations (2): Supporting Actress (Collette), Adapted Screenplay; Golden Globe nominations (2): Picture - Musical/Comedy, Actor - Musical/Comedy (Grant)"Growing up has nothing to do with age."During attempts to meet available women, a shallow, irresponsible bachelor (Grant) reluctantly strikes up a friendship with the unhappy, misfit son (Hoult) of an eccentric, suicidal hippie (Collette), which is jeopardised when he unexpectedly falls in love.Not your typical British romcom, as the important relationship here is between man and boy, and what they learn from (and teach) one another, with a never-better Grant clearly relishing his newly-nurtured caddish ways first demonstrated in BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY.Collette also shines in a difficult role that could have been played unsympathetically, while the dual narration works well in this excellent, largely faithful (except for the ending) adaptation of Hornby's 1998 novel.Blu-ray Extras: None. ½ (1/10)

"About A Boy" "About A Boy" (2002) is a professionally produced comedic drama about looking inside. The story is about a womanizer, who has never worked a day in his life, Will Freeman played by Hugh Grant, that meets a down on his luck boy, Marcus played by Nicholas Hoult, and discovers a surprising connection that could change the course of their lives. This film is awkwardly hilarious and towards the end of the film, Marcus delivers a line to Will that should make every human take a step back and evaluate their own life.This movie seamlessly intertwines two stories in this film. The main being from Will's point of view and the second is about Marcus and his mother, Fiona played by Toni Collette, as they deal with his mother's depression and being bullied at school. Though the film doesn't have anything I can specifically relate to, it does have moments of emotional impact that will stay with me. The strength that Marcus displays as he makes conscious efforts to force Will to become a part of his family was odd, but powerful. I found it odd because a young boy going to an adult's house without their parent's knowledge or permission is unsafe and unheard of for modern times. Overall, this fill had drama, comedy, and a sliver of romance that I find highly entertaining

We can say anything about Hugh Grant, but not that he is bad at his job. I believe this is his most mature, perhaps the best performance of his career. We see something that we did not have a chance to see before in Grant's career. We are able feel Will's progress from a completely hopeless eternal child, to the man who finally decided to participate in the life around him. Markus is a compelling portrait of all of us at some point in life, when we were so lost that, not only we did not have the answers, but we were not even aware of the issues. The movie is spicy, but not because they play on humor but because they are extremely honest about the people and their weaknesses.

This adaptation by Brothers Weitz of the Nick Horny novel of the same name is a very refreshing comedy-drama that successfully uses a double voice-over narration, one of a man who hasn't quite grown up (Grant) and the other of a boy who has to grow up too quickly (Hoult). Toni Collette received several nominations for her supporting role, but the substance of her character is not quite apparent; while Rachel Weisz's subplot comes together and undone a little too easily. If this film were set during 1993–1994 like it was in the book, the overall story would have had more significance. Still, while a little too modern for its own good, ABOUT A BOY is undeniably entertaining (and even, ugh, a little cute) and without a doubt worth remembering.*** (out of four)