Boy A (2019)

Boy A (2019) is a British drama film by John Crowley. I didn’t love this film. Another British film that isn’t perfect. It’s surprising because they’re capable of everything and not just the best. I’m not a huge fan of Andrew Garfield; I thought he was the worst Spider-Man ever. But after watching interviews and documentaries, I realized that even he knew he was making a lousy film. He’s always been a fan of the superhero, but he’s never been able to interpret him the way he wanted to, the way he imagined him from childhood. Here, he pulls it off quite well, even if he is an annoying actor with a rather repulsive charisma.

Once again, there’s an incredible dance scene. Sometimes, if not often, dance scenes in non-musical films are some of the best scenes in cinema, I find. Andrew Garfield is not a stupid actor. He knows what he’s doing, and he does it to the best of his ability. I respect him for that. I really liked, even adored, the other actors: Peter Mullan, the uncle; Shaun Evans, the colleague and friend; and Katie Lyons, the girlfriend.

I didn’t really like the pace of the film. I found it slow and drawn out, and yet it lacks precision. But on the plus side, the subject matter is actually very heavy, and it’s hard to convey that other than by making things really heavy. I hesitate between saying it’s not bad or good. In any case, it remains intense. I don’t regret having seen it, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. The idea that everyone is entitled to a second chance always touches me a lot because it’s so true in some cases, anyway.