Director
Felix Van Groeningen
(THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN)

Stars
Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Kaitlyn Dever and Amy Ryan

BEAUTIFUL BOY is based on a pair of memoirs – – Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. Written for the screen by Australian writer Luke Davies (LION) and Belgian filmmaker Felix Van Groeningen, making his English-language film debut here, BEAUTIFUL BOY is a tender, truthful and confronting journey through a young man’s battle with drug addiction and his father’s best endeavours to save him.

From both perspectives and in several aspects of its story, BEAUTIFUL BOY is a heartbreaking film, but such a crucial one too. This biography drama is so utterly realistic in how it chronicles the changing state of the precious, but fragile relationship shared by 18 year-old Nic (played by CALL ME BY YOUR NAME’s Timothée Chalamet) and his father David (Steve Carell). As the film frequently jumps back and forth in time, we gradually come to learn of just how strong the bond between father and son is prior to the latter’s drug use, which adds deeper emotion to what David is fighting to keep. Meanwhile, we witness hopes fading and doubts rising as Nic’s battle becomes increasingly overbearing and as David loses further sight of the son he once knew. The full impact of this personal tragedy extends to the rest of the family – Nic’s step-mother Karen (Maura Tierney), his step-siblings, and his birth mother and David’s ex-wife Vicki (Amy Ryan) – and is equally affecting as the rest of the story.

The script and the acting work produce some truly exquisite moments. A scene that takes place at a diner involving David and Nic is so moving and simply outstanding. On the acting front, BEAUTIFUL BOY boasts three stirring performances that may even be the recipient of some Oscar attention during the awards season. Steve Carell, who was terrific in a similar role in LAST FLAG FLYING (an underrated and excellent movie!) earlier this year, is arguably even better as a father who is forced into a constant state of anxiety in this film. Timothée Chalamet, who lost twenty-five pounds for this role, is every ounce of outstanding here as he was for his Oscar-nominated work in the sublime five star classic CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. Both physically and emotionally, Chalamet’s embodiment of his character’s anguish and helplessness is powerful stuff to experience. Though she is inclined to be overlooked by her male co-stars, Maura Tierney plays a pivotal part in conveying the toll that Nic’s drug addiction and resultant neediness of her husband has to her character and family, and does so in such raw fashion. 

4 stars

Viewer Discretion
MA15+ (Strong drug use)

Trailer
BEAUTIFUL BOY

Moviedoc thanks Transmission Films and Miranda Brown Publicity for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc
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