THE BOYS
Australia, 1997
Rated MA in Australia
Cast: David Wenham, Toni Collette, Lynette Curran, John Polson, Anthony Hayes.
Director: Rowan Woods
Producers: Robert Connolly, Douglas Cummins, John Maynard, David Wenham
Writers: Gordon Graham (play), Stephen Sewell
This is a disturbing and riveting movie. It opens with Brett Sprague (Wenham) being released from jail and is picked up by one of his brothers, Stevie (Hayes). It's not long before we find out that Brett is the alpha-male of this little pack.
Almost immediately we leap forward in time 18 hours. Hints abound that something bad, very bad, has happened. Police radios crackle. Brett and his two brothers have been arrested. A brief glimpse of something unspeakable.
Then, just as quickly, we fade back to the 'present' as Brett arrives home to the domestic non-bliss of his mother's house. The characters are introduced: Brett's other brother Glenn (Polson), Brett's girlfriend, Michelle (Collette). His mum Sandra (Curren, the wonderful Betty in "Bliss"). Stevie's little girl lost (and pregnant and unloved) 'girlfriend' Nola. Tensions are building up inside the house. Brett seems to have a tranquil venom about him - calm on the surface, but the snake is in their.
What is disturbing is that we - as viewers - know from almost the opening credits that something terrible is going to happen. We are shown the aftermath in assorted flash-forwards: Brett burning clothes in the back yard, Brett and brothers in jail etc.
These hints are interleaved with the story of the day of Brett's return home. We see a family in trouble. The brothers just laze around, drinking beer and seeing who is the biggest loser. Nola talks about escaping this slow motion prison. Michelle taunts Brett. Brett taunts and accuses everybody. And poor Mum tries to hold it all together by cooking up a nice Welcome Home dinner.
The intensity builds up as we flip back between the 'now' and even further forward in time (sentencing, trial). But the audience is never told - during these future bites - who the victim was or even what the crime was. Is it the poor, sweet mother? The moping Nola? The defiant Michelle? The man who put Brett in jail in the first place? The 'now' story leaves enough threads open so that it could be any of them. It is inevitable, this evil. And there is nothing we can do but sit there in the dark cinema and wait for it.
Wenham is outstanding in the lead role. His Brett has a quiet, brewing evilness such that he dominates nearly every scene he is in. Most of the film takes place inside the house, indeed the film is based upon a play. There is virtually no music on the soundtrack.
The performance of David Wenham alone makes this film worth seeing. Add in very good supporting roles, direction, editing, production and script…and the mix is distressing and challenging. At a running time of a crisp 82 minutes, your time won't be wasted. 4.5 out of 5.
(The film seems to have had a 2nd wind here. Wenham is enjoying the lead role in a hugely successful TV series "Sea Change", which started on TV after "The Boys" had been released. I first saw "The Boys" about 2 months ago. I saw it again today and there were a lot more people in the audience this time around. In " Sea Change" Wenham shows his versatility by playing very much an anti-Brett role: the romantic lead - a gentle, kind, good bloke. Hopefully both will hit your shores soon)
Copyright © David Sidwell 1998
-- review end ---
David Sidwell (Williamstown, Australia )
dsidwell@connexus.apana.org.au or dsidwell@myemail.com.au
http://connexus.apana.org.au/~dsidwell
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