About a Boy - Un ragazzo

The Weitz brothers (of 'American Pie' fame) surprised me with this intelligent comedy. They do a commendable job of bringing Nick Hornby's modern British comedy to screen. Peter Hedges takes up the challenge to adapt Hornby's novel and he does a fine job. I liked that it wasn't Americanized. The quirkiness and humour is well balanced, witty and clever while amusing. The film is mainly about growth of the characters especially Will, Fiona and Marcus and I loved how it was portrayed in a gradually subtle way. The situations are easy to relate to. Even though the characters live under unusual circumstances: like Will choosing not to work because he does not need to, the suicidal Fiona or Marcus regularly visiting Will in order to fix him up with his mom, they are easy to identify with. Hugh Grant is great as the shallow Will. He's cast against type and this is perhaps the role that allows him to stretch his acting further. Nicholas Hoult delivers a natural performance. He's certainly not those movie kids who are made to look cute because the director can't get them to act (so credit does go to the Weitzs). Toni Collette is superb as always. Rachel Weisz makes the best of a small role. The rest of the cast do a good enough job. The soundtrack is gentle and whimsical at times, flowing smoothly with the steady pace. I liked the songs of Badly Drawn Boy. Some of the deleted scenes on the DVD are worth a watch. In a nutshell, 'About A Boy' is a simple, delightful and funny movie about growing up.

This movie really came as a surprise to me. I had read the book shortly before I saw it and when I heard Hugh Grant was going to star and the Weitz brothers were chosen to direct I didn't exactly have high hopes. I thought "American Pie" was funny and all but this kind of story demanded someone more mature, someone clever. This movie, however, turned out to be all that: mature, clever, witty, sensible, honest and, most of all, really funny in such a natural way. Hugh Grant has never been better in any role before or since and the soundtrack by Badly Drawn Boy is just perfect for the movie. The only thing they overdid a little was Toni Collette's character. I've never seen a person like that in real life. What I did like was the way they changed the ending for the movie. Usually that's not a good idea but it totally worked here. After all, I still liked "High Fidelity" a tiny bit better (the movie, not the book), but "About A Boy" comes very close. If you are just as much a fan of this book/movie as I am, get the DVD. There are wonderful deleted scenes on it, which are as funny as the rest of the movie.

The book is an excellent read, while more extensive in its story elements and structure, it is funny, moving and compelling. The movie is also very, very good. I personally would have liked the first half of the movie especially to have slowed down a tad, some of it felt rushed and skimmed through. And while it is not as extensive or quite as developed as the book, it is every bit, if not more so, as funny, moving and as compelling. The whole movie is beautifully filmed, the soundtrack is beguiling, the excellent is suitably adroit and the script is funny, sharp and witty. And the more poignant scenes were genuinely so. The whole cast give sterling performances, Hugh Grant is on excellent form, and Nicholas Hoult is very believable as the troubled boy. Sharon Small, Toni Collette and Rachel Weisz also are solid. All in all, a very good film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Described by some as a man's version of Bridget Jones Diary the remarkable thing is that it lives up to the description. Hugh Grant, with an excellent script that could have been written especially for him, plays a young confirmed single yuppie socialite, dividing his day into units in which to pack his meaningless but carefree, philandering lifestyle and disposable income. After initially discovering unmarried mothers as a new supply of grateful sexual objects, he becomes drawn into a meaningful life after making friends with a young boy. Avoiding a cheesy ending is one of the film's many triumphs.

`About a Boy' was being touted as a great make over for Hugh Grant… and it is. Gone is his infamous bumbling English fop role, his fluffy hair lost to a sharp, more stylish cut. Here he plays a rich selfish layabout, Will, who cruises through life on the royalties from a song his deceased father penned years ago. He finds a great way to meet women who don't want to get involved through a single mother's group – which is where he meets the strange twelve year old boy Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), who lives with his depressed, suicidal mother Fiona (Toni Collette). A tragic event sees Marcus seeking comfort with the indifferent Will who begins to realise that there's more to life than sitting around at home all day.

Hugh Grant is on peak form here – he sheds his old roles for that of a fresher, younger man. He is able to convey charm and selfishness not just through words, but also through his mannerisms. He even conveys genuine affable warmth later on in the movie, without making my teeth grate… Equally impressive is Toni Collette as Marcus' sad mother. Her character has a tragic feeling to it, a real sense of world-weariness conveyed in a great combination of makeup and acting. The real star of the movie – for me- is Nicholas Hoult as the young boy who helps Will come to realizations about his life. He doesn't get by on cute good looks, like far too many kid actors, because he can actually act – from the innocence of a child (when he tries to get his mother and Will together), to the simplistic musings of children who can't understand why some people hurt (such as his mother). Like Osment (whom he amusing compares himself to), Hoult shows that child actors are just as, if not more so, capable as their elders.

The script of the movie is witty, without being outright hilarious. It's what you come to expect of the British comedy market (the weak `Ali G indahouse' aside). It being a British comedy you can predict where it's going to go and there are relatively few surprises along the way. Having said that the characters are sketched strongly enough, and the humour at a high enough level, that you'll be more than entertained along the way.

It's surprising to see that this movie was directed by the `American Pie' Weitz brothers, because they bring a thoughtful, contemplative air to the movie, while never getting bogged down in pointless camera techniques – the most we're left with is some simple screen wipes. They've also chosen well by having Badly Drawn Boy compose the whole soundtrack as it works very well with the film's tone.

There's nothing outstanding in `About a Boy' but what's here is done surprisingly well. It's a nice movie that's quite enjoyable for relaxing to some evening. A 7/10 seems just.