Un beau petit diable

'HANDSOME DEVIL': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

An Irish coming-of-age drama film, about an outcast and an athlete that are forced to share the same bedroom at their boarding school. They of course bond in the process. The movie was written and directed by John Butler. It stars Fionn O'Shea, Nicholas Galitzine, Andrew Scott, Moe Dunford and Michael McElhatton. Being an outcast myself, all of my life, I enjoyed the film quite a bit.

Ned (O'Shea) is a gay outcast that's forced to attend a new boarding school. Conor (Galitzine) was a star rugby athlete, at his old school (who got into too many fights there), and he's now forced to attend the same school. The two are also forced to share the same bedroom together, and they both immediately hate the idea. Over time they bond though, and they even form a two member band together. This doesn't go over well with some of the authorities though, at the rugby obsessed school, and their new friendship is tested.

This is a movie I hadn't heard anything about before seeing it. Then my friend asked me if I wanted to review it, for his website Film-Arcade.net. So after reading about it on IMDb, I said yeah. He sent me the screener, and I was very pleasantly surprised by it. It's a really touching coming-of-age tale, about being an outcast and not fitting in. This film is more specifically about being gay, but it could be about anyone that doesn't fit in (to the social norm) and it would still have the same message. I've been bullied my whole life, for being different (and more specifically for looking different). So many people have socially rejected me for this that it's really caused some serious emotional (and mental) issues. So this movie really spoke to me. I loved it!

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provocative. and real simple. touching. and surprising. a coming of age film. and little more. because, not being extraordinary, it gives, after the final credits, a special state. first - its target is very large. because it is a film about youth and its challenges. in same measure, it is a film about difference. the second - it gives a coherent message. and it escapes from moralistic/pink cages. be yourself ! it is the axis. and that does the gay coming up almost a pretext. because it has the science to mix humor with bulling,social masks with deep honesty, teenager sensibility/cruelty with the portrait of the teacher well known from many other films, changing everything (Andrew Scott does an admirable job ). a film like a challenge. good actors, good script, an amazing Fion O Shea and the right director. and, sure, a so simple story.

I love this movie so much and I always come back to it when I'm feeling down. It has an excellent soundtrack and portrays a great story.

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.

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.