Tommy Collison

At the risk of encroaching on Charles’ territory, I’d like to review a film I watched last night. I watched About A Boy, a 2002 film based on a book by Nick Hornby (I intend to track down the book) starring Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult as a 38 year old carefree bachelor and an introverted, bullied 12 year old, respectively.

Plot

Will Freeman, the bachelor, is living in a swanky London apartment, spending his days lounging round the place reading, smoking and watching old Countdown episodes. He doesn’t have to work because he lives off the royalties of the song his father composed, Christmas Carol Santa’s Super Sleigh.

Marcus Brewer lives at home with his depressed mother and struggles through life coping with the rocky home relationship as well as getting bullied at school. Early on in the film, she attempts suicide so Marcus starts hanging out with a friend, Suzie.

Meanwhile, Will, always on the prowl for lady friends, has joined SPAT -Single Parents Alone Together- to hook up single moms – which he describes are great because of the passionate sex, ego massages and a guilt free parting!. To do this, he must have a reason to go to these SPAT meetings, so he invents an imaginary son. Enter, Ned the 2 year old. While there, Will is attracted to Suzie, a single mother as well, and that’s how Will and Marcus get to know each other.

The rest of the film continues these lines, with Marcus and Will becoming friends and the repercussions because of it.

My opinion

Hugh Grant steals the show.

The other actors are fine, good in fact, but Hugh Grant is by far the best. That could be because he’s given the best lines but there are other things, like how he delivers his lines or how he holds himself. His facial expressions, even.

The film is very witty, so it’s a pity Grant gets the best lines, because then any scene without him feels bland and boring and let’s-get-this-over-with.

Despite that, it’s a very good film, I’d totally recommend it. Go watch!

Currently attempting to procure a copy of the soundtrack, so I’ll review that once I’ve had a chance to listen :)