Honey Boy

Let me start by saying I am not an emotional person by any stretch. I dont think I have ever cried in front of my wife in the 15 years we have been together. This movie utterly destroyed me emotionally. I had to put up a blanket barrier between my head and my wife's as she slept for fear she would catch me sobbing like a little girl while watching this movie. This movie sucked me into a paradox of memories and emotions relating to the dynamic between me, my father, and my 3 children. It allowed me to put myself into the shoes of my children...and made me see very clearly for the first time in many years one thing. LOVE THOSE LITTLE ONES. HUG THEM, KISS THEM, LOOK THEM IN THE EYES AND TELL THEM HOW VERY MUCH YOU LOVE THEM. The years pass and before you know it, it's too late to make up for lost time. I wish I could thank Shaia for making this movie. It helped me more than any therapy session ever could.

Noah Jupe was excellent in this film. He is definitely growing as an actor and can no longer be dismissed as just a child actor.

The story was good and Lebeouf did a good job playing the father. I recommend it highly.

I for one, am fascinated by Shia LaBeouf. I'm sure I'm not the only one. He is a polarizing figure in Hollywood and I was amazed that this guy marathoned all of his films in the cinema. I think he is a wonderful actor as well, see The Peanut Butter Falcon and American Honey for proof. When I heard he was writing a memoir of sorts about the tumultuous relationship with his father, I was definitely going to go see it. This film was pretty much what I expected it to be.

A semi-biographical picture about the life of Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy follows a young rising child actor and his bipolar relationship with his father. His father is a former rodeo clown and is a deadbeat, for a lack of a better word. The relationship is marred with verbal and physical abuse. The child actor grows up with post traumatic stress disorder because of his upbringing and must learn to come up with ways to cope with his past that effects him. The film stars Lucas Hedges and Shia LaBeouf in the father role.

The story feels authentic because it is. I think the child actor involved and Shia were very good and you just can't help but feel the toxicity involved in their relationship. Its something that pains the young kid much later into his life, which unfortunately in a common curse in a bad upbringing. I still feel like there were parts of the film that were left unrealized but for what we get its a worthy time watching this film about a relationship that has some ups but mostly a lot of downs.

You can feel that the film is a personal one which is why its just an entertaining watch. I'm here trying to look for parallels between the child actors works depicted and a corresponding work that Shia LaBeouf did, to see the similarities between the film and real life. Overall, this will be a painful watch for some and invigorating for others. I enjoyed it for what it was and want to see Shia do more writing for film.

7/10

He deserves an Oscar for writing it let alone for the acting. He truly is the most underrated actor out there now and the best of my generation. Noah Jupe is a tour de force. Lucas Hedges nails his portrayal of Shia LaBeouf.

D

There were some great performances from Shia LaBeouf and Noah Jupe and powerful moments between these characters as father and son.

Unfortunately, the film suffers from not having a clear story. There was no plot, suspense, or structure. This isn't inherently a bad thing if ALL the scenes are strong, but the weaker scenes were boring and never moved the story forward(particularly the scenes with Lucas Hedges in rehab).

The film read as a bit incoherent, messy, and indulgent. If you're curious about Shia LaBeouf, you'll love the movie.

The sad thing is that I love Alma Harel's prior documentary films, which have a magical quality this film totally lacked. The cinematography was also unimpressive. The film relies on a dreamy quality that isn't captured well.

All in all, a disappointing film.