Review: Beautiful Boy (2018)

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What happens next?

David Sheff (Steve Carell) is determined to help his oldest son, Nic (Timothee Chalamet) overcome his crystal meth addiction. But like with any addiction, nothing comes easy.

Not to be confused with the other Beautiful Boy - I've never read the pair of memoirs this film is based on, so I can't speak to its accuracy or if Hollywood came in and romanticized anything. (Hello, The Glass Castle) One thing that sticks out is that it seems like everyone involved did their research when it comes to addiction. It helps having both books as guidelines, on top of one of the writers being a former addict himself. 

This film feels very sincere. It is quite by the books as far as these dramas go but it never once fell into cliche or Hallmark movie territory. It helps that the cast all around is fantastic, right down to the young actors portraying the Sheff's younger children and the scenes of young Nic. Everyone looks natural.

Carell and Chalamet both give tremendous performances. You can tell David wants to be a good dad but he's hurting and his determination to help his son is commendable. Chalamet is never over the top playing Nic. He could've easily gone the overboard tweaker route and he never does. He's really an extraordinary young actor. 

Ultimately, I think Beautiful Boy may be a bit forgettable as time goes on, but it's a well made film with an excellent ensemble cast. Come to think of it, this is the strongest group effort I've seen so far. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "I'm done." - David Sheff (Steve Carell)

Comments

  1. Courtney YoungNovember 14, 2018 at 8:16 AM

    Great review...I totally agree. Forgettable, but great performances.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 14, 2018 at 10:16 AM

      It took me forever to figure out where I had seen the kid playing younger Nic while watching, then I realized he was Eddie from It! He was good too.

      Delete
  2. BirgitNovember 14, 2018 at 12:46 PM

    I want to see this film...ughh I always say this but it looks like a well made, thoughtful film about addiction

    ReplyDelete
  3. thevoid99November 14, 2018 at 2:23 PM

    I'm not sure if it's coming to my local multiplex but I'll check it out as I do like Steve Carrel and Timothee Chalamet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 15, 2018 at 6:38 AM

      I'm kind of surprised mine got it, it seems really limited so far.

      Delete
  4. s.November 15, 2018 at 3:20 AM

    I will definitely check this one out if only to wipe my memory of Chalamets previous movie :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. DanielNovember 15, 2018 at 9:39 AM

    UGH THIS WAS SO BAD. Very sincere, but SO overdone. Carrell was terrible (and I like him as a dramatic actor), the editing was terrible, and the song cues were ridiculous. It also makes an utter mess out of the book.

    At least Chalamet was good, but that's not a surprise, he's perfect for the part.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 15, 2018 at 9:40 AM

      Oh no! I'm sorry you hated it so much. Did you read both books? I haven't seen Chalamet be bad yet.

      Dude should've won that Oscar last year. lol

      Delete
  6. m.brownNovember 15, 2018 at 10:09 PM

    I love Carrell...but dammit, man...you're gonna pull something chasing that f--king Oscar around. The kid ruled in Lady Bird, so maybe I'll check this out, even if it seems a bit...uhhhh....typical?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 16, 2018 at 7:26 AM

      lol Carell's best performance IMO is still Foxcatcher. He looks embarrassing in Welcome to Marwin.

      Did you watch Call Me By Your Name? He's fantastic in that.

      Delete
  7. KatyNovember 18, 2018 at 2:53 PM

    Nice review! My mom wanted to check it out, so I'll have to tell her it's pretty good. :)

    ReplyDelete

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