Worried About the Boy

Having only recently read 'Take It Like A Man', Boy George's compelling and brilliantly entertaining autobiography, I was excited by the prospect of this. I've never been a Culture Club or Boy George fan, but I love tales of rock 'n' roll excess and I was happy to find the book did exactly this.

This film, however, proved to be a bit of an anti-climax. Whilst everything appeared to be accurately depicted and the era authentically portrayed, the problem was that it stopped just as things were getting interesting. The book really came into its own once Boy George and Culture Club found fame but film stops dead at this point, with the exception of a few flash-forwards to 1986 when George was engulfed in controversy and smack addiction. I appreciate what went on before is relevant but what was shown in the film should have been condensed down, allowing the majority of it to focus on what happened thereafter. But I guess that ultimately wasn't the point.

I definitely think George's fame, popularity and infamously colourful life warrants a screen adaptation, but merely giving us an insight into what went on beforehand makes me think this was a missed opportunity.

On a slightly more positive note, to hear that the lead was only 17 is astounding and he did a terrific job in what must have been a very challenging role.

Douglas Booth made an utterly stunning and very watchable Boy George, capturing his sharp witted and ultimately rather romantic character without ever resorting to campness or cliché. I enjoyed this drama for the gorgeous recreation of what must have been a fascinating time in London's cultural history and the fabulous design of the costumes and sets. But even though the dialogue at times sparkled (special mention here for Freddie Fox playing a magnificent Marilyn) it was rather a case of style over substance. The story just felt very thin and although there were some surprisingly touching moments (with Kirk as well as John Moss) there just didn't seem enough story here to sustain an hour and a half. I felt the addict section of the story really limped along and felt underdeveloped and unnecessary in particular. However they did a good job of making the characters engaging and likable and for that reason it was worth the hour and a half spent with them. I just would have liked to have seen a bit more of events, and also a bit more about George's motivations - what made him who he was.

*Possible Spoilers* I watched this and it was AMAZING. Full of everything a television programme could need; angst, comedy, romance, honest truths...the list goes on! The acting is incredibly good, and always believable. Though it was all wonderful, my personal favourite parts were the cute and subtle bits of romance. In parts, it made me 'aww' audibly! Douglas Booth, who played George, looks an incredibly amount like him. A perfectly chosen actor, there in my opinion. And, as an added bonus, he's absolutely gorgeous! The only low part for me, was that the lip-syncing of the songs was rather bad. The mouths move to the right words, but it doesn't look like he's actually singing it. But this is merely a small thing, and hardly really detracts from how wonderful the whole thing was. I would highly recommend watching/buying this. A brilliant piece of drama! Douglas Booth is definitely a star in the making! Look out for him in the future!

It's a shame there is no Theatre of Hate songs in this 80's strory which is the band that Kirk Brandon was the lead singer. This is an interesting story from Boy George's Autobiography one which Kirk Brandon denied & sued Boy George in Court & lost. I found it entertaining enough & there are lots of 80's tunes in here but no Kirk Brandon songs maybe due to copyright but it would have added some context to the story. Apart from that it was an otherwise piece of 80's nostalga with a story that many may not have previously known about.

I thought that this was well acted & both actors who played the two main characters were very good & convincing playing Boy George & Kirk Brandon (who was Rob Stark in Game of Thrones). Do you really want to hurt me is used in the film & suits it perfectly as you will find out if you warch this gem. There are many other well known 80's musicians and icons who are scattered throughout the film so see how many you can spot.

Worried About The Boy (2010) -

This film had a cracking soundtrack/backing track and it wasn't even saturated with the songs of Culture Club, which in many ways was a shame, but in other ways it showed the music that had been part of Boy George's (Douglas Booth) life until that point.

Because of it's lower "Made For TV" budget it was far more gritty than the likes of 'Rocketman' (2019) and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018), with its concentration more on George and his origins specifically and less about the band or his rise through celebrity.

Personally I wanted to learn a lot more about the years in between 1981 and 1986 and the years that followed, so perhaps it's time for a follow up

I also felt that there should have been more sex and nudity, especially based on the rumours of George's sex life and because Douglas Booth is a handsome guy. I thought that he did a good job in the lead role.

This was also the first time I've seen Freddie Fox play someone other than Freddie Fox and he did it really well too in his role of Marilyn.

And it was interesting to see Richard Madden as yet another gay boyfriend type in the role of Kirk Brandon (Who in real life tried to sue George for his claims that they had a relationship and lost). Maybe Rich will play my husband one day?

I really enjoyed this tale, despite its limited time frame and I'm not joking about a sequel being due. The story of (Boy) George O'Dowd only got more interesting after the events depicted here, certainly as far as I can recall, and even if they were only filmed as a source of entertainment and not entirely factually correct, they would be a great curiosity for Culture Club fans and film buffs alike.

This instalment was acted well and I felt directed and edited with care too. Akin to 'Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!' (2006) and 'Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me' (2008), it was a warts and all piece about an icon.

836.71/1000.