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.

I loved the movie. The only reason it's not a 10/10 is that it's way too similar to the Dead Poets Society. Same English teacher with his unorthodox pedagogy, same sports vs. arts dilemmas, except this time the characters are openly gay and that adds a dimension.

It's equally moving, with the same twist of pupils taking sides, which is the climax of the movie. The acting is great too. I wouldn't be surprised if 5-10 years down the road we see some of these same faces playing in the top gear movies, running for the top prizes. Certainly worth watching - it's not just a coming out of age and a coming out of closet movie, but also a touching young folks' drama set up in a realistic environment. Great piece!

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.

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 picked this off Netflix on a boring Saturday afternoon. Boy I wish I had seen it sooner.

I was totally shocked at how good it is - the story line is something we can all relate to - a world that often isolates those who don't "fit in".

Fionn (Ned) and Nicholas (Connor) are absolutely relatable in their roles, and I loved the cameo by the English Teacher. While some may critique the ending as "predictable", but IMO any other type ending would destroy this movie. After the emotional roller-coaster of the film, we NEEDED that ending.

Thoroughly recommend it for all - especially for those who think that anyone who is different is a lesser individual.