An English sports writer named Joe Warr (Clive Owen) lives with his second wife Katy (Laura Fraser) and their young son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty) in a house in the bushland of South Australia. Tragically for the family, Katy is quickly discovered to have cancer and she passes away. Jim, with the love and support of the rest of his family, has to take responsibility himself as a parent. He opts for a much freer outlet for Artie though, believing in fewer rules, only bigger ones. His plan is of course a failure, leaving the house in a complete mess and his son without much discipline. As well as balancing his home and work life, Joe has to deal with the arrival of his other son Harry (George Mackay) from his first marriage. He manages at least to find an ally in Laura, another single parent (Emma Booth).
Though the initial outline may sound grim, The Boys Are Back is an extremely beautiful film that becomes almost relaxing to sit through and enjoy. Said to be inspired by a true story, it was shot on location by director Scott Hicks in both South Australia and England. The capture of the ocean waters, or the breeze drifting over a field, remains inspired. The photography of the Australian landscape has rarely looked better. It is the beauty of the landscape, in conjunction with the more endearing moments of a man reconnecting with his son, which makes the film engaging and mostly easy to watch. Though it may not have the emotional core that it was aiming for, there is no doubt that the majority of the film is still sweet and heartfelt.
While there have been numerous other films about single fathers, The Boys Are Back only hints at predictability and then quickly retracts from expected plot points. One may quickly assume that the siblings of different ages will not like each other and may fight. Yet they actually find a great deal of comfort in each other and rarely collide. Similarly, when Joe meets Laura, his relationship with her is questioned, but he never engages romantically with her. It is because of this lack of expected conflict and the routines of the day to day household that not a lot happens in the film dramatically. There are some darker scenes towards the end but they still relatively mild. Perhaps the film's most daring moment is when Joe allows his son to sit on the bonnet of his car while driving along a beach but even a scene like this is handled with a more romantic quality rather than sheer intensity.
Much of the film's likability is derived from a surprising performance from Clive Owen. It is a real pleasure to see such a major Hollywood star in a rather minor film like this. He was also one of the produces on the picture too. He convinces here with the warmth and the affection that he shows to both of his sons and the heartache with the loss of Katy. He may not have the arrogance that one might expect from a man who does not want to provide rules for his children. Yet it would have been rather formulaic in characterising him as a hotshot sportswriter, whose arrogance is lost to the affection of his son. Instead, Owens occasional touches of humour and his affectionate persona make him difficult to dislike, despite his irresponsibility. It is refreshing to see Owen undertake a role that does not portray him as the man on the run. Rather ironically, he is the man who is forced to stay behind and not leave his problems. In time a great actor could start to emerge from this star. His co-stars are also very good. Nicholas McAnulty is very natural and aided by strong dialogue in the script, while George Mackay is suitably distant and quiet as Harry.
The Boys Are Back is quite a beautiful film to watch and relatively safe entertainment. It is extremely likable because of the heart it posses in displaying the more poignant moments between adults and their children. Owen has attempted a more challenging role and with reasonable success he brings warmth and compassion to this picture. In a strong year for Australian films, this is not a particularly dramatic or eventful film, but an enjoyable and fairly entertaining one.
Though the initial outline may sound grim, The Boys Are Back is an extremely beautiful film that becomes almost relaxing to sit through and enjoy. Said to be inspired by a true story, it was shot on location by director Scott Hicks in both South Australia and England. The capture of the ocean waters, or the breeze drifting over a field, remains inspired. The photography of the Australian landscape has rarely looked better. It is the beauty of the landscape, in conjunction with the more endearing moments of a man reconnecting with his son, which makes the film engaging and mostly easy to watch. Though it may not have the emotional core that it was aiming for, there is no doubt that the majority of the film is still sweet and heartfelt.
While there have been numerous other films about single fathers, The Boys Are Back only hints at predictability and then quickly retracts from expected plot points. One may quickly assume that the siblings of different ages will not like each other and may fight. Yet they actually find a great deal of comfort in each other and rarely collide. Similarly, when Joe meets Laura, his relationship with her is questioned, but he never engages romantically with her. It is because of this lack of expected conflict and the routines of the day to day household that not a lot happens in the film dramatically. There are some darker scenes towards the end but they still relatively mild. Perhaps the film's most daring moment is when Joe allows his son to sit on the bonnet of his car while driving along a beach but even a scene like this is handled with a more romantic quality rather than sheer intensity.
Much of the film's likability is derived from a surprising performance from Clive Owen. It is a real pleasure to see such a major Hollywood star in a rather minor film like this. He was also one of the produces on the picture too. He convinces here with the warmth and the affection that he shows to both of his sons and the heartache with the loss of Katy. He may not have the arrogance that one might expect from a man who does not want to provide rules for his children. Yet it would have been rather formulaic in characterising him as a hotshot sportswriter, whose arrogance is lost to the affection of his son. Instead, Owens occasional touches of humour and his affectionate persona make him difficult to dislike, despite his irresponsibility. It is refreshing to see Owen undertake a role that does not portray him as the man on the run. Rather ironically, he is the man who is forced to stay behind and not leave his problems. In time a great actor could start to emerge from this star. His co-stars are also very good. Nicholas McAnulty is very natural and aided by strong dialogue in the script, while George Mackay is suitably distant and quiet as Harry.
The Boys Are Back is quite a beautiful film to watch and relatively safe entertainment. It is extremely likable because of the heart it posses in displaying the more poignant moments between adults and their children. Owen has attempted a more challenging role and with reasonable success he brings warmth and compassion to this picture. In a strong year for Australian films, this is not a particularly dramatic or eventful film, but an enjoyable and fairly entertaining one.