Jamesy Boy

Based on a true story, the film follows a young man by the name of James Burns, as he grapples with the consequences of his early criminal exploits. The movie skillfully weaves together past and present timelines, offering viewers a nuanced portrayal of James's troubled upbringing and his eventual transformation behind bars. The film doesn't shy away from depicting the harsh realities of prison life, yet it also explores themes of hope, redemption, and the power of human connection.

One of the standout aspects of this cinematic experience is its stellar cast, featuring top-tier actors such as Ving Rhames, James Woods, and Mary-Louise Parker. Their performances add depth and gravitas to the narrative, elevating the film beyond the standard biopic fare.

While the movie is undeniably compelling, it does have its drawbacks. Certain plot points may seem predictable. Additionally, the pacing can be a bit slow at times, with certain moments dragging on longer than necessary.

Despite these flaws, "Jamesy Boy" ultimately succeeds in delivering a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant viewing experience. It serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the potential for growth and redemption, even in the face of adversity.

Jamesy Boy is a solid biographical drama that offers valuable insights into the complexities of the human experience. While it may not be flawless, its powerful performances and poignant storytelling make it worth a watch, particularly for fans of true-life stories and compelling character studies.

Based on ex-convict James Burns's early life, 'Jamesy Boy' makes an earnest attempt to portray a true-story, with honesty. The results are, well not always right & quite uneven too, but in totality, it's well-made.

'Jamesy Boy' Synopsis: A young gang member turns his life around in prison, thanks to the friendship he forms with a convicted murderer who becomes his mentor.

'Jamesy Boy' aces in one department & that being its performances. James Woods is unbelievably powerful in his portrayal of a warden, who knows the difference between a true criminal & a man thrown into crime. The amount of depth & dignity Ving Rhames brings to his part, that being of a man behind bars for multiple murders, is something to be witnessed. Mary-Louise Parker melts your heart as James's mother. And lastly Spencer Lofranco. He delivers a worthy performance as James Burns/Jamesy Boy.

Trevor White's Writing could've been tighter for sure, but he still manages to tell a story that has merit. It's a troubled story, told somewhat effectively. White's Direction, on the other-hand, is competent.

On the whole, 'Jamesy Boy' isn't flawless, but it does have some pluses.

After about 10 minutes of scrolling through the catalogue on prime I found the kind of movie I was looking for. Of all the movies, I decided on Jamesy Boy. What sold me on it was the picture of Ving Rhames on the movie poster, and even though his role turned out to just be a cameo, he still delivered one of his signature monologues which doesn't have much to do with the movie, but its so unique and authentic that worth every second of entertainment value! Along with the cameo from Ving I was surprised that James Woods who plays the warden of the prison, adds some great veteran acting presence. Other than Ving Rhames and James Woods the cast is mostly young actors with very little movie experience but actually play their roles really well. My hats off to the director of this one for really getting the most out of the actors he had to work with and I was surprised to see the main actor Spencer Rocco Lofranco really didn't get much for chances after this movie which I really think his rugged and tough performance warranted more lead roles in higher budget movies after this.

The story is pretty interesting about a teenager who seems to be pretty down on his luck has no choice but to turn to the streets and a life of crime in order to survive. The ebs and flows are really nice and the movie goes back and forth between his current life in prison and his past life as part of a gang which got him into prison.

I recommend this movie for late night watching, where you're looking for a good story with good acting from a cast you wouldn't expect to be as good as it is!

This movie might not be for everyone, when I read some of the reviews I can understand your point of view when remembering it in hindsight but I must tell you I was unable to notice any of the small mistakes while I was watching.

Maybe because I've been in the same situation at the same age, made all the same mistakes with the feeling of it being right at the time, like you had no other choice.

If you lived the life of a child believing it was full-grown surrounded by vicious criminals whose "standards and morals" you thought was real and you believed it like this kid did and had to go trough it the hard way to finally realize, or if you can relate to that, then this movie might be for you.

Not because it will make you feel good or not because it is portrayed in a way that makes "thug life" seem cool like these movies I grew up with and became classics.

In a way that made me feel as the main character went through life making decisions, I could understand and relate to his choices, it wasn't always spelled out why he took upon himself to do some of the things he did.

His standards and morals, he stood up for them even though it is a rare thing in that world, a very rare thing I must say knowing what I speak of. And when he was old enough to realize that he had to pay the price knowing he was trying to hold up this "standard and moral" that does not even exist in that world and the one who payed the price was him.

I liked this film and the main character, it made me feel through the whole movie as the decisions was made and I reminisced on my own life from an adults point of view gone through hell and back.

Best luck to you James, best luck.

In spite of some of the violence (not too graphically displayed in most scenes), the film was well-and-sensitively done: realistic, well- considered, edited and displayed. Although I'm not a fan of that specific genre of music, it was well-chosen for the film (nice 'trailer song'). I'm recommending it because I believe the producers and directors had a genuinely-interesting story to tell. They chose good actors, researched the history, and made action and sensitive moments believable. The time-line was a little tough to follow at first, but you eventually catch up with that. They did it well. ~Bob Shank, Tucson AZ