December Boys
December Boys **1/2
Directed by Rod Hardy
Written by Marc Rosenberg, based on the novel by Michael Noonan
Starring:
Daniel Radcliffe as Maps
Lee Cormie as Misty
Christian Byers as Sparks
James Fraser as Spit
Jack Thompson as Bandy
Teresa Palmer as Lucy
Sullivan Stapleton as Fearless
Victoria Hill as Teresa
105 Minutes(Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity, underage drinking and smoking. )
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From time to time, I'll end up seeing a film that is somewhat alright, but nothing too special. I guess decent is the right word for it. And this film drags a bit throughout, is tolerable but I wouldn't watch it again, and then it is such a massive success in the ending that I kind of second guess what I was feeling about it during the beginning of middle. This is the case with "December Boys," a good hearted and intentioned drama that has such a nice and poignant ending, that I had to remember what a murky road to was to get to the well done finale when it was over. It reminded me of a scene in the great "Adaptation," where Nicolas Cage's character is talking to Brian Cox-both screenwriters. Cox is giving Cage advice and he says "Wow them in the end, and you have a hit. You can have flaws, but wow them in the end, and you'll be fine." And "December Boys" did make me smile when it was over, but on the whole it's not always the success the finale makes it out to be.
"December Boys" may give top billing to Daniel Radcliffe, but the real star is Lee Cormie, who plays Misty. The film is about four orphans-nicknamed Maps, Misty, Sparks, and Spit. They are called the December Boys, because that is the month they were born. They get the chance to go on holiday to a remote beach house, and there they find married couple Fearless and Teresa, as well as the fine boarding of Bandy and his wife-who he nicknames The Skipper. Maps also finds comfort in the arms of Lucy, a rather seductive young girl that takes a fancy to him. Things change for the boys when they find out that Teresa and Fearless are planning on adopting one of the boys since they can't have children of their own, and a rather inner battle begins between the four of them, even though they know that if they were separated they would all be lost.
Side characters end up being a kind of plot device, but the four orphans are quite well written. There are several interesting dynamics. There is the simple fact that all four of them love each other dearly, and are brothers, and yet now there is this quiet rivalry coming into play. And the script doesn't really highlight this rivalry, and all of there tricks to be the one to get adopted are all done very quietly and very well done. There is the fact that Maps-played by Radcliffe-is much older than the others, and you see how he dealing with adolescent problems, as well as basically being the leader of the boys. And Spit and Sparks are the two middle children, and they do not seem to hold a candle to the older Maps, and the baby Misty. That part of the film is well done. Radcliffe is decent. Not the finest actor in the world, but I was able to watch every minute of this film without thinking to myself "Look, it's Harry Potter!"
The whole beginning and middle portion of the film ranges from decent to very mediocre (oddly enough as I wrote the word mediocre, the television also said the world). At times the film seemed to just meander around with nowhere to go. The resolution to the love story between Maps and Lucy seemed forced and out of nowhere. And all the side characters has little to no dimensions, even though the script tries to give some to Fearless, the husband of the couple wanting to adopt. But that element doesn't really work either. And then the last ten minutes are real sweet, and even though a bit obvious, I couldn't imagine it ending any other way. "December Boys" is somewhat good fare, but in the context of the season-what is out at the moment, and what is coming out in the next four months, its such a minor film that I expect it to fade very fast.
Now Playing At:
AMC Village VII
AMC Lincoln Square and IMAX
Directed by Rod Hardy
Written by Marc Rosenberg, based on the novel by Michael Noonan
Starring:
Daniel Radcliffe as Maps
Lee Cormie as Misty
Christian Byers as Sparks
James Fraser as Spit
Jack Thompson as Bandy
Teresa Palmer as Lucy
Sullivan Stapleton as Fearless
Victoria Hill as Teresa
105 Minutes(Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity, underage drinking and smoking. )
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From time to time, I'll end up seeing a film that is somewhat alright, but nothing too special. I guess decent is the right word for it. And this film drags a bit throughout, is tolerable but I wouldn't watch it again, and then it is such a massive success in the ending that I kind of second guess what I was feeling about it during the beginning of middle. This is the case with "December Boys," a good hearted and intentioned drama that has such a nice and poignant ending, that I had to remember what a murky road to was to get to the well done finale when it was over. It reminded me of a scene in the great "Adaptation," where Nicolas Cage's character is talking to Brian Cox-both screenwriters. Cox is giving Cage advice and he says "Wow them in the end, and you have a hit. You can have flaws, but wow them in the end, and you'll be fine." And "December Boys" did make me smile when it was over, but on the whole it's not always the success the finale makes it out to be.
"December Boys" may give top billing to Daniel Radcliffe, but the real star is Lee Cormie, who plays Misty. The film is about four orphans-nicknamed Maps, Misty, Sparks, and Spit. They are called the December Boys, because that is the month they were born. They get the chance to go on holiday to a remote beach house, and there they find married couple Fearless and Teresa, as well as the fine boarding of Bandy and his wife-who he nicknames The Skipper. Maps also finds comfort in the arms of Lucy, a rather seductive young girl that takes a fancy to him. Things change for the boys when they find out that Teresa and Fearless are planning on adopting one of the boys since they can't have children of their own, and a rather inner battle begins between the four of them, even though they know that if they were separated they would all be lost.
Side characters end up being a kind of plot device, but the four orphans are quite well written. There are several interesting dynamics. There is the simple fact that all four of them love each other dearly, and are brothers, and yet now there is this quiet rivalry coming into play. And the script doesn't really highlight this rivalry, and all of there tricks to be the one to get adopted are all done very quietly and very well done. There is the fact that Maps-played by Radcliffe-is much older than the others, and you see how he dealing with adolescent problems, as well as basically being the leader of the boys. And Spit and Sparks are the two middle children, and they do not seem to hold a candle to the older Maps, and the baby Misty. That part of the film is well done. Radcliffe is decent. Not the finest actor in the world, but I was able to watch every minute of this film without thinking to myself "Look, it's Harry Potter!"
The whole beginning and middle portion of the film ranges from decent to very mediocre (oddly enough as I wrote the word mediocre, the television also said the world). At times the film seemed to just meander around with nowhere to go. The resolution to the love story between Maps and Lucy seemed forced and out of nowhere. And all the side characters has little to no dimensions, even though the script tries to give some to Fearless, the husband of the couple wanting to adopt. But that element doesn't really work either. And then the last ten minutes are real sweet, and even though a bit obvious, I couldn't imagine it ending any other way. "December Boys" is somewhat good fare, but in the context of the season-what is out at the moment, and what is coming out in the next four months, its such a minor film that I expect it to fade very fast.
Now Playing At:
AMC Village VII
AMC Lincoln Square and IMAX
posted by Eric at
1:15 PM
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