1997 misbehaving child movieRating: 17/20
Plot: Francie Brady tries to make the best of life despite having an insane ma and a violent, alcoholic da. At least he's got his BFF Joe. Francie and Joe, when not playing cowboys or chipping at ice in a fountain, spend their time harassing Mrs. Nugent and her son Phillip, a family guilty of nothing more than having a more normal life than Francie's got. Francie's beguiling charm and gift of gab gets him far, but it can't save him from all the tragedies that befall the Brady family and threaten to tear Francie and Joe apart.
Brutally comic and whimsically tragic, The Butcher Boy is a strangely familiar film, one that apparently inspires me to write in oxymorons. It's well written, quotable even, but you've got to make sure you watch with the captions since the Irishness makes this very nearly a foreign language film. Eamonn Owens (Eamonn? Seriously?) plays Francie, and he plays 'm well, a performance that makes you feel really guilty for rooting for or rooting against the character. Right now, I'm having a tough time coming up with a better child acting job, and he's just such a great character. Sinead O'Conner's also in this movie, playing a cursing Virgin Mary. That right there is worth a bonus point. And Stephen Rea as the dad is also very good. There are some strange moments in this, surreal ventures into Francie's gradually weakening mind that involve aliens, atomic bombs, and pigs, and there are some shocking bits of ultraviolence that will likely turn off some viewers. A lot of dark territory is covered here--alcoholism, abuse, suicide, pedophilia--but the darkness is submerged beneath a layer of marshmallow humor, something else that might offend a lot of viewers. This was the second time I saw this movie, and it's just as fresh, daring, riveting, and surprising as it was when I watched it years ago.
3 comments:
Yer right 'bout this un brother Shane (though Sean would be a better Irsh name fer ya). Sadly, I taped this off TV, and so I haven't a freakin' clue what a few lines were. On the up side, it did improve my listening skills, and tonight I'll probably dream of the emerald isle and bonnie lasses.
Owens' performance is extrordinary. His titular (hey, I got to use the word "titular")character IS the movie. It speaks to his greatness that I still don't know if I'd rather throttle the little brat, or give him a big hug. His manic, unstopable Francie is like a child version of Alex from "A Clockwork Orange". His attitude seems to be the only thing sustaining him as he loses more and more touch with reality. I pulled for him until his final psychotic break, then I felt very sad (even while almost wanting to laugh). The film style is also full of contradiction. The upbeat score and wonderful narration are at almost constant odds with the on screen tragic drama. "Butcher Boy" is brutally satirical, but is also full of poignant pain. Excellent review (love the 'm) of a very good recommendation. A 17, as well.
note: It is ironic that I saw this after "Dogtooth", another film that deals directly with the impact parents can have on their children
second note: I kind of fudged on the proper meaning of the word "titular". I couldn't help meself.
Glad you liked this one...I thought of 'Clockwork' too while watching it, because of the character, not the style or moog-y soundtrack. I think Owens' performance is probably my favorite child acting performance ever unless I'm allowed to count television because then you've got Screech on 'Saved by the Bell'...but yeah, there's real skill in somehow managing to make the line between liking his character and hating his character a fuzzy one.
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