Boulevard

Greetings again from the darkness. The tragic death of Robin Williams last year left a void in the world of comedy, and his absence is also felt on the big screen where his dramatic skills were often under-appreciated. His final non-comedic role comes courtesy of a film that is probably not worthy of his talents, but leaves us with a reminder of what a skilled actor he was.

The premise feels at once a bit dated and also timely. Williams plays Nolan, a 60 year old man who works at his comfortable bank job (of 26 years), goes home each day to his comfortable suburban home, to a comfortable marriage to his wife (Kathy Baker) with whom he no longer shares a bed or much of anything else. He also periodically stops off to put a straw in the ginger ale for his near comatose father with whom he has never had much of a relationship. His entire life is a façade of comfort and life lived well enough.

"Are you happy?" That seemingly odd and innocent question from his boss sets Nolan off on a path of awakening. It turns out that since he was 12 years old, Nolan has suppressed his true identity as a gay man. A spontaneous u-turn on the titular Boulevard sends Nolan on a collision path with Leo (Roberto Aguire), a young male prostitute with whom he quickly bonds … through only talking and self-identification.

It's this awakening that brings a level of modern-timeliness as Nolan's story is not so different from that of Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner who has dominated the recent media with the late-in-life shift in persona. They are sixty-plus year old men who have evidently each lived a lie for much of their lives. It's difficult for many of us to relate to, but clearly it's a real thing, and director Dito Montiel and writer Douglas Soesbe capitalize.

The best and most uncomfortable scenes occur with Ms. Baker and Mr. Williams avoiding the issue through years of practice, and also the scenes with Mr. Williams and Bob Odenkirk who plays his long-time friend and confidant. These are three strong actors who work well with each other.

There is really nothing wrong with the film … it's slow pace designed to match that of Nolan's life … but the Nolan and Leo segment just never clicked, leaving me struggling with a third of the story. It's about a man who is totally not comfortable in his own skin, and lives a somber and unfulfilled life right up until the point where he takes a leap. It's not that he takes a leap, but rather the specific leap he takes that just didn't click for me. Still, it's a performance from Williams that is worth watching – in fact, must be watched if you are a Robin Williams fan.

It's been nearly a year since we lost Robin Williams to a long-standing bout of depression that eventually led to his suicide. This led to an enormous outcry of grief all over the celebrity and social media world from those who had grown up on his movies, television and standup and caused many to reflect on this talent that we had perhaps taken for granted. No one can deny that his movies weren't always diamonds, but his work in them was almost always admirable and memorable. The fact that he spent the last couple of years of his life giving great performances in terrible little-seen direct to VOD films ("The Angriest Man In Brooklyn", "A Merry Friggin' Christmas"), with the occasional cameo in something truly awful ("The Big Wedding"), is a rather tragic thought. But fortunately, with Dito Montiel's newly released film Boulevard, Williams goes out strong, if not quite on top. Williams plays Nolan, a man who's stuck in your typical indie-film marriage, i.e. loveless. He's friendly and cordial with his wife, but is clearly missing something vital. One night he's driving home and spots a group of gay hookers on the sidewalk and after nearly accidentally running one over, he befriends him and starts to confront his closeted homosexuality. He gets advice from his friend Winston, played by Bob Odenkirk, who brings all the levity and spontaneity that you'd hope for from the guy who plays Saul Goodman in a role that could have felt a tad superfluous. He's clearly only in the movie to give Nolan a person off which to bounce his thoughts, but with an actor like Odenkirk in the role, it's hard to complain about such matters. If you feel like you've seen this film before, you probably have. We've seen this suburbia set-up many times over the last couple of decades, so when a film goes for this, you really have to count on strong performances and interesting surprises to make it worth your while. Thanks to Williams' tender, vulnerable, aching performance, the film always stays on the side of watchable, and often fascinating. An electronic synthesizer score often tends to call too much attention to itself and distract from the fine performances by not just Williams, but also Roberto Aguire as Leo, the young man whom Nolan befriends. Fortunately though, once the film firmly establishes what it's about, such distracting little director quirks either ceased altogether, or just stopped bothering me. Certainly for someone like me, a huge fan of his work, it's impossible to watch Williams play such a sad, morose character and not be reminded of what happened shortly after this film was finished. It's just unavoidable. But thankfully, that would just be me reading too much into the story. The man was an actor, and an excellent one at that. Remove all of the comedies from his resume, and you're still left with one of the most impressive collections of dramatic performances in recent memory. This film is no exception. Every time he smiles to avoid confronting the pain and confusion that Nolan feels so strongly, we don't question him in the slightest bit. When we see him look at Leo with his expression of sorrow and pity, it's impossible not to feel right there with him. It may not be best film of Williams' career, and it's a real shame that he never experienced the ultra renaissance that I'm sure was on the horizon for him, but as a film for an actor of this stature to go out on, he could have done much worse than "Boulevard". Grade: B

I liked this final Robin Williams film mostly because it shows how great an actor he really was. Williams stars as Nolan, a very nice, kind, sweet, unassuming 60 year old gentleman, who happens to be gay, but has kept himself in the closet for 50 years. His performance exudes happy frustration with his very being, making you wonder what really goes on behind the closed doors in his mind and home. How many stories in real life, Williams own included, have shown you seemingly happy people on the outside who, on the inside, can't take life anymore.

Nolan has reached this point by doing what was expected of him. He has worked in the same bank for 25 years. He lives with his wife Joy (Kathy Baker) whom he loves, but they don't do much other than have dinner and brief words. There is no intimacy, it seems they have never shared the same bed - no children. Obviously his wife must have known the truth. It makes me wonder why this issue never came to a flashpoint earlier.

This boring, risk-free life takes a change when Williams decides to chat up a male prostitute Leo (Roberto Aguirre) when he drives home past this known prostitute bridge. Why he chose this kid, it's never clear. Maybe he was thinking he could help this kid, who apparently used drugs, so maybe not a good choice, to lead a nice, happy, openly gay life. It's never clear.

The story goes on, a bit slowly, and Williams has to start building a web of lies to cover his contact with Leo. The consequences you might imagine are inevitable, but the ending offers you hope that, at least for Leo and Joy, perhaps things are working out for the best.

This is not a masterpiece, nor a must-see, but since we know it is William's last performance, you should see this performance that will remind you how great an actor we have lost. Now go out and rent Good Will Hunting or Good Morning Vietnam or Dead Poet's Society!!! Enjoy.

This film tells the story of a seemingly happy sixty year old man, with a decent job and a lovely wife. A random encounter makes him reevaluate his life priorities, and he decides to shred his lies and lives the life he really wants.

As one of Robin Williams' final films, I'm so glad that "Boulevard" shines in just about every aspect, namely Robin Williams' performance, the plot and the brilliant production. The story is subtle but perfectly portrays the complex psychological battle that Nolan goes through. He's a man who is lonely, and yet he seeks attention from the wrong person, as in a person whose love is for rent. The final showdown between Nolan and Joy is very touching, because I feel for both Nolan and Joy.

"Boulevard" tells a very engaging story about a man finally coming to terms with his inner turmoil. I hope more people will have a chance to watch it, because Nolan's story is actually not uncommon in real life.

The fact that it is / was the last film of Williams add something to the viewing itself. I am not completely familiar with his death, so I can not really say how - maybe - this movie fits into his last months of life...But I can see that some stories can unfold something deeply hidden in someone and make an explosion.

This is a good drama. Williams is very believable in his role. It does feel genuine and somehow fits him good.

Someone wrote that the film is predictable.Well, for me, at least, I did not see that kind of an ending. I am not sure if I expected a happy ending with the boy, but... I am happy that my predictions ( whatever they were) did not come true.

Somehow, the slow pace of the movie and kinda darker colors / cinematography reminded me of the 60's and 70's and that added something moody, melancholic to the movie which I liked.

Seven from me.