A cameo by Timothy Hutton (as an info-dump doctor) proves an interesting touchstone here, as Beautiful Boy treads a similar path to Hutton's career-turning role as the troubled teen in a fantasy-upper middle-class family in the Oscar-winning Ordinary People nearly four decades ago, then the focus bring mental health, here drug addiction. Based on a true family case, the film is undoubtedly worthy and earnest, but it also offers little new and leaves no drug-addiction-movie cliché unturned. Timothee Chalamet clearly invests in portraying the drug-broken young man effectively, Amy Ryan and the wonderful Maura Tierney provide some real authenticity in the rare moments they are allowed to shine as mother and step-mother respectively, and Steve Carell gives another sincere and sympathetic dramatic turn as the committed but despairing father. As the father becomes increasingly wearied and worn down by the repetitive failings of his son, so too does the viewer with the film, which, in spite of its glossy look, sincere performances and worthy material, does become somewhat flat and tedious to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment