English sportswriter Joe Warr (Clive Owen) lives in Australia with his wife Katey (Laura Fraser) and young son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty), but a cancer diagnosis for Katey soon turns their world upside down. Upon the death of his wife, Joe becomes a single parent unsure of how to grieve and take care of a child at the same time. Joe decides to encourage freedom in his household, and this comes to create problems when his teenage son from a previous relationship, Harry (George MacKay), comes to live with them.

CRITIQUE

Stories about grieving tend to be more successful in print than on screen. Cinematic representation of loss can engage the emotions when in the hands of actors even halfway talented, but for the entire narrative to truly excel takes a deft hand. This film has that. Supremely touching and vividly realistic, The Boys Are Back also impresses on the strength of its performances and direction.

Clive Owen is an actor of unique magnetism, and it is always a wise move for a film to be centered around his character (one example- Children of Men). The role he takes here, that of everyday guy and father, is one we haven’t seen him inhabit before and it works surprisingly well. Owen is so adept at physical command, such as in The International, that his emotional flexibility as Joe may truly startle some audience members. He also works well with the other significant actors here-- the ones playing Joe’s sons. McAnulty is a ball of energy, effortlessly himself as many child actors tend to be, while MacKay does subtle work that will intrigue enough for many to follow his future work. It is also a treat to see Fraser here, one of most underused talented actresses out there.

These performers wouldn’t have much of an impact without a thoughtful and authentic story, though. Luckily, that’s what they got. A memoir by Simon Carr is the source material for a script that ends up being thoroughly engaging and upbeat overall despite the sad event that begins the plot. The exploration of bereavement feels completely true to life (Joe talks to Katey like she‘s still there, for instance), while it is simply heartwarming to witness the emotional connections being made between Joe and his two sons. Director Hicks reaffirms himself as a filmmaker of extraordinary vitality, nicely varying his shots and working at a controlled, measured pace.

The Boys Are Back undeniably effects on an emotional level, with a striking realism throughout its story, performances, and direction.

THE VIDEO

The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and this presentation does wonderful things for an intimate film like this, the picture and color transferred flawlessly.

THE AUDIO

Audio options include English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, as well as a Spanish dub track. It works as well as it always does. Available subtitles are English and Spanish. Miramax has a tendency to keep these additions to a minimum on their DVDs.

THE EXTRAS

The Boys Are Back: A Photographic Journey: This cool feature edits together the unit photography (basically behind-the-scenes photos) in a cool way, and the viewer can choose to watch with only music or with music and a narration by director Scott Hicks. The narration option is the one I favor-- it acts as a bit of commentary on the film itself. We also get a few pictures from a deleted scene here.

A Father and Two Sons, On Set: This is a way too brief extra showing the moment when the real life sons from the story met the young actors portraying them. It is quite interesting to see how similar in manner the pairs actually are, while a separate interviews from director Hicks and author Simon Carr, whose memoir the film is based on, discuss this moment.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Boys Are Back takes the true story it is based on to build a strong and cinematic film filled with emotion and authenticity. The fine acting and directing are other elements that make this DVD worth the purchase. Also, the extra features are good, though the film deserves more of them. Viewers searching for a touching film will certainly find that in The Boys Are Back.