Buddy Boy

A bumpy story, but this is a good thing. I found myself saying, "What the....?" several times. After a slow start, the plot adds new ingredients which steer us into the muddy waters of a man's wild delusions and his equally bizarre reality. The lines blur without warning and the film securely carries us out of the normal boundaries and trappings of life. Well acted and written while the directing lacked nothing. To see Emmanuelle Seigner again (Ninth Gate) was a pleasant surprise. I'd probably need to see this one again. I liked it. 7 of 10

This film offers such a vivid depiction of mental illness that I found myself slightly disturbed after I had done watching it (I'm OK now, though!!) It will appeal to those who are fans of unsettling psychological horror that explores one person's mental state. Other films that I'm sure this one carries the influence of, include: "The Driller Killer", "Psycho", "Bad Boy Bubby"...

I'm no psychiatrist, but it struck me how it might be possible to get so wrapped up in one person, that you begin projecting your issues onto them once they've let you down; because up until then they'd been the only reliable, stable figure in your life. Throw in religious crises, which have the ability to make you even more uncertain, and you've got the recipe for one seriously messed-up individual. There is imagery contained within to turn your stomach and make your head spin. Take a chance on "Buddy Boy" if you're in the mood for a walk on the wild side; I just hope you come back unscathed... !

The stutterer Francis (Aidan Gillen) is a lonely religious man that works processing photos and lives with his abusive stepmother Sal (Susan Tyrrell) that is invalid in a gloomy apartment. Francis has a dreadful solitary life and he works, takes care of Sal and goes to the Catholic Church and his relief is his faith in God. Francis is also a voyeur and spends his nights watching a beautiful neighbor in another building through a hole on the wall from the back stairs of his building and masturbating later.

One day, Francis stumbles with the woman that is being robbed by a thief on the street and he helps her. She introduces herself as Gloria (Emmanuelle Seigner) and invites him to have dinner with her. Gloria explains that she is vegan and soon they have a love affair and Francis loses his virginity with Gloria that loves him. But Francis becomes obsessed to watch Gloria and he believes that she has other men and is cannibal, eating the flesh of her lovers. The schizophrenic behavior of the delusional Francis makes him see weird things in Gloria's apartment.

"Buddy Boy" is a bleak tale of schizophrenia, with a dark story of a religious man that becomes insane and delusional. The director and writer Mark Hanlon makes a weird independent movie following the style of David Lynch and makes a tribute to "The Tenant", "Rear Window" and "Blue Velvet". It is unbelievable that "Buddy Boy" is the only work of this promising director. Aidan Gillen, Susan Tyrrell, Emmanuelle Seigner and Mark Boone Junior have exceptional performances. Emmanuelle Seigner is still in the top of her beauty and is difficult to find a reasonable reason for her love for the weird Francis. The colors in this movie are very dark, especially in the dingy apartment where Francis and Sal live. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Buddy Boy is an amazingly twisted and brilliantly written piece. Hanlon is obviously a man possessing exceptional skill and an enviable creative mind. The film requires that its audience possess the intelligence and acumen in order to appreciate its complicated, dark beauty. One can only hope that he continues to provide the movie-going community with such wonderfully challenging material.

For those who can make the necessary suspension of disbelief and contend with the depressingly dark ugliness of this drama, "Buddy Boy" will prove to be a captivating and disturbing look at the troubled life of a homely, introverted, socially inept, stammering young man who dutifully tends to a disabled, alcoholic, and abusive mother while window peeping at a beautiful neighbor. Somewhere between quirky and surreal, "Buddy Boy" is a compelling character study which waxes doggedly toward a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion. Not for everyone, this flick is most likely to be appreciated by those who are into quirky dramas for quirkinesses sake.