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Like Michael Winterbottom's recent Genova, Scott Hicks delves into family grief when the young wife of a sports writer (Clive Owen) suddenly dies. Joe is left to raise his six year old son Artie (an effortlessly natural Nicholas McAnulty) on their country home near Adelaide. Whereas Winterbottom travelled to the darker side of human grief, Hicks tends toward a line of good cheer and wonderment that kept Shine, amid the heartache and tragedy, from the bleakest corners of emotional turmoil. Which is not to say The Boys Are Back is all light fuzz; instead it's a tidy amalgam of fear and hope against an upsettingly familiar, familial backdrop.
The plot turns on Joe's unwillingness to give in to conventionality. Following the fridge magnet dictum of 'just say yes' and confident that kids will bounce, his chaotic parenting style is at odds with his mother-in-law (Julia Blake), his ex-wife and, eventually, the neighbour who lends a hand (Emma Booth). However it's a ripe foundation on which to rebuild relationships; at first with Artie then Harry, his teenage son by first marriage who visits from England. Theirs is an uncharted course but one with a promising future, if they can first learn to get along.
Clive Owen is tremendous playing against type, a compelling lead who binds the film while creating space for others to leave more than just an impression. And he's not alone; casting is the cornerstone of Hicks' fine production. Whilst the script slips gears on occasion, they are momentary lapses that are easily forgiven. Coupled with eye-catching cinematography by Grieg Fraser (Bright Star), The Boys Are Back rounds out as a glittering, thoughtful film about bereavement and being a boy.
// COLIN FRASER
moviereview colin fraser film movie australia review critic flicks