The Boys Are Back (2009)

Really Surprised!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Crappy film

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This movie had its moments, but overall I didn't care for it. I love Clive Owen and sympathized with his character up to a point, but I found his dying wife too perfect and quite unlikeable, especially after their back story was revealed. His character seems stunned and disbelieving that he could be suffering such misfortune, never mind that he caused so much misfortune to those from his past. He had every excuse for himself and his actions but his older son had his number (his younger son was just annoying.) I did like that he was finally called to account for some of his crappier decisions, and that he was able to make at least some amends.

Fatherhood that is realistically examined through difficult consequences and characteristics is tough to find in cinema. "The Boys Are back" has a terrible title, but a wonderful story. Clive Owen gives a great performance as single parent Joe Warr, a sportswriter who has to raise his two sons after his wife dies, which takes some getting use to due to his wife raising the kids mostly, and Joe working constantly. His youngest son Artie has attitude issues and is very energetic and hyper. His son Harry from a previous marriage resents Joe and has always had a rocky relationship with him. The three men all interact in good and bad times with one another and end up providing the audience with a realistic display of family issues. Scott Hicks directs this film very settling and desirable way in which the film transforms right into it's core plot from the beginning sequences. A personal and detailed script by Allan Cubitt, this story transfers human struggles into family struggles with all three men's issues combining into one to show the dynamics of family virtues. Clive Owen portrays a troubled father excellently without getting too sappy or getting carried away in various scenes that many actors would over do. "the Boys Are Back" is a wonderful tale of parenthood and family related topics that is a sure audience pleasure.

Let me start writing this review stating how much I enjoyed this movie. The subject involving a father and two young kids is an interesting subject to me, given that I adore this kind of relationship. Joe Warr is a father who has to take care of two young kids, who don't feel like helping him at all. Most of the time these kids are confronting him-- specially Harry. Sometimes it feels like writers of this movie are too mean to the poor daddy; sometimes the kid is the one who does the wrong thing, but the father is the one penalized all the time. For instance, in one scene Harry tells Joe he can go to work in peace, because Harry would take care of the house and his brother. However, he allows some punks coming in the house, and they end up destroying everything. In the end, Harry gets really MAD with his father, even thought he is the one who made a mistake. For this reason sometimes I think writers are too cruel to the main character. The scene in the airport, when Joe kept screaming the name of his youngest son, I thought "No, the little kid can't be dead, that would be TOO evil for a simple movie". Fortunately, I was right; the little kid was just talking to Harry, who was coming back to their house. I admit that in the last scenes, when the three guys were driving a car in the desert, I missed when I was younger and spent more time with my parents, which made me (nearly) cry. All in all, "The Boys Are Back" is a simple movie, but due to it's involving storyline, it is very professional in doing what it promises. Recommended.

Clive Owen, I find, utterly boring. His voice, his eyes, his mannerisms--boring. This storyline was plain DRIVEL for me. I am probably the only one who feels this way about Clive, but I just don't get him--ever. And especially in this pathetic presentation. It played like a 1960s 'made of TV' or 'Lifetime Movie'. I don't need 10 lines to re-express, but for whatever reason, IMDb has this '10 line' minimum requirement. Sorry, I even took the time, but I wasted my time by watching this thing, and felt I deserved to voice my opinion. I suppose 'boring' was not exactly correct. Perhaps ANNOYING would be a better choice.