Handsome Devil

I loved this film. I went to a rugby school in Ireland in the 1960s but wasn't any good at rugby myself. I'm gay too but back then it was something to keep quiet about., A lot of people have assumed that the character, Ned, is gay. In fact the film never makes clear whether he is or not (this was confirmed by the director). I loved how Fionn O'Shea played the character. He may have been picked on for being different but he wasn't a shrinking violet and verbally gave as good as he got. I also marveled at how Nicholas Galitzine, a young English actor, got the middle class south Dublin accent so right. The rugby scenes are as authentic as any you will see in a movie.The director used Leinster under 19 players. I met him at a festival and he told me that they assembled them for the filming of the rugby scenes but hadn't told them who the choreographer was going to be. They were both gobsmacked and delighted when it turned out to be Brian O'Driscoll (for those unfamiliar with rugby he is widely regarded as Ireland's greatest ever rugby player - his wife played Ned's mother in the film). As others have noted the upbeat ending was really necessary in this film.

The age-old story of an unlikely friendship between the athlete and the outsider with a large dose of Dead Poets Society thrown in.

Its not original but the film is heart-warming and full of charm. Well acted throughout with many well known names in cameo roles. The most well known is Andrew Scott who plays the unconventional English teacher who tries to encourage the outsider while helping the developing friendship with the schools star rugby player. The film is emotionally manipulative at times, pulling familiar tricks to get the viewers sympathy but its easy to forgive when the characters and dialogue are so charming. The use of voice-over and split screen are not always effective and detract from the film at times. And the lead characters could have been developed more. But overall Handsome Devil is a charm and an easy pleasure to watch.

Ned hates school his father has remarried and decided to send his only son off to a boarding school. It is one of those schools where sports rule and in particular – rugby. Yes the ultra macho contact sport where beef, brawn and attitude count. My school was very similar. Ned is not sport minded and as such is an outcast being sneered at for being 'gay'.

Then new boy Connor arrives under a cloud from his previous school. Only he is also a top rugger player and gets placed in the same room as Ned. The Jock and the 'gay' are not best suited and neither boy is happy. However, the two soon form a bond based on mutual interests but it soon becomes apparent that the natural order of things is only allowed to be in flux for so long before the forces, that be, must exert themselves and return everything to its proper place.

Now this is a film supported by The Irish Film Board and has a cast peppered with talent including Ardal O'Hanlon, Moe Dunford ('Vikings') and Amy Huberman ('Moone Boy') and everyone puts in good performances. It can be light hearted and lack in character development in places, but it is a well rounded drama which focuses on those that we chose to exclude and how that fear of revulsion changes a person – and not always for the better. It is a scenario that is familiar to many and not one that any of us ought to be proud of for taking part in. It is also a ruddy good watch with perfect timing and drama to keep you hooked till the credits roll – easily recommended.

When you spend your life trying to be someone you are not, who is going to be you?! Ned, a fiercely independent teen at a rugby obsessed boarding school, struggles with the answer to this question. Isolated and bullied just because he is different, Ned figures that keeping his head down is the best option to endure the school year. Yet how quickly things can change. A dynamic teacher and omnipotent rugby star, each grappling with their own demons, transfer to the school. Meeting them is the worst and the best thing to happen to Ned. He discovers that what is more important than being cool, is what is beautiful. Yet beauty has its price.

In Handsome Devil, new twists are added to the familiar tale of a teen attempting to stand up in the face of bullying, and reconcile athletics with learning. The added perspectives include a faculty member and a star athlete who face harassment and threats as harsh as those faced by the main character. While the film is predictable in places and the scenes and acting not as exquisite as they might be, I enjoyed the rich dialogue and the new angles on the characters. I really liked the director's previous film, the Stag, for its humor and unique approach to a familiar theme (in this case, a wedding and bachelor's party). Seen at the Miami International Film Festival.

I love this movie so much and I always come back to it when I'm feeling down. It has an excellent soundtrack and portrays a great story.