This Boy's Life
2.5/4
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Ellen Barkin
Rated R for Strong Language and Sexuality
Strange, this movie is. Not in so much that it's a weird movie (it's a relatively normal biopic), but in how close it comes to a solid recommendation. There's a lot of good stuff here; the performances are consistently excellent and the characters are well-developed. Unfortunately, it suffers from awkward editing and a meandering script.
Caroline Wolff (Barkin) has bad luck when it comes to relationships. The men she gets involved with are jerks, abusive or perverts. She and her son, Tobias (DiCaprio), decide to head out west (this trait of moving after a relationship goes south brings to mind the much better and insightful "Tumbleweeds"). After a uranium search in Utah, they end up in Seattle. Caroline meets the handsome and charming Dwight (DeNiro) soon after. She's smitten (or at least convinces herself that she is), but Tobias (who goes by the name of Jack) immediately realizes that Dwight is as phony as a two-dollar bill. Caroline is determined to make the relationship work, but Dwight is determined to get the rebellious Jack in line (his motto is "kill or cure").
The three lead performances are astonishing. We expect that from DiCaprio and DeNiro, but Barkin is a surprise. Known mainly as a character actress, Barkin truly shines in the complex role of Caroline. She's a mother who is ill-equipped to deal with her own troubles as well as a rebellious teenage son, although she's giving it her best shot. Also terrific is Leonardo DiCaprio. The actor has proven that he is more than capable of outstanding performances, but this was his first major role (before this, he was known for TV work). Few actors can stand toe to toe with a force of nature like Robert DeNiro, but even at that young age, DiCaprio is up to the task. From innocent to rebellious, DiCaprio allows Jack to grow into a self-sufficient adult who can stand up to Dwight.
It wouldn't be a surprise to say that DeNiro is outstanding. He's never given a bad performance (even in awful movies like "Stone"), but this is probably one of his most impressive and demanding. Roger Ebert probably described Dwight best in his review when he said that Dwight is like a child. Dwight is immature and unable to effectively live as an adult. The last level of maturity has bypassed him, and he's even less able to deal with a teenage kid than Caroline is. The complexities that DeNiro is able to capture in Dwight is incredible.
Michael Caton-Jones, a Scottish import, directs this film with a sure feel for character development, but the editing is confusing. The timeline is fuzzy; it's sometimes difficult to determine how much time has passed from one scene to the next. Chris Cooper's scene is a case in point. I didn't know if it was a flashback or not. Such poor handling is severely detrimental to a film, especially a character-based one.
The film is also far too long, especially the first hour. These characters are interesting, yes, but the film moves too slowly. A little aggressive pruning would have probably earned the film a solid recommendation (ten minutes would have probably done the trick).
As it is, it's an almost-but-frustratingly-not-quite movie.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Ellen Barkin
Rated R for Strong Language and Sexuality
Strange, this movie is. Not in so much that it's a weird movie (it's a relatively normal biopic), but in how close it comes to a solid recommendation. There's a lot of good stuff here; the performances are consistently excellent and the characters are well-developed. Unfortunately, it suffers from awkward editing and a meandering script.
Caroline Wolff (Barkin) has bad luck when it comes to relationships. The men she gets involved with are jerks, abusive or perverts. She and her son, Tobias (DiCaprio), decide to head out west (this trait of moving after a relationship goes south brings to mind the much better and insightful "Tumbleweeds"). After a uranium search in Utah, they end up in Seattle. Caroline meets the handsome and charming Dwight (DeNiro) soon after. She's smitten (or at least convinces herself that she is), but Tobias (who goes by the name of Jack) immediately realizes that Dwight is as phony as a two-dollar bill. Caroline is determined to make the relationship work, but Dwight is determined to get the rebellious Jack in line (his motto is "kill or cure").
The three lead performances are astonishing. We expect that from DiCaprio and DeNiro, but Barkin is a surprise. Known mainly as a character actress, Barkin truly shines in the complex role of Caroline. She's a mother who is ill-equipped to deal with her own troubles as well as a rebellious teenage son, although she's giving it her best shot. Also terrific is Leonardo DiCaprio. The actor has proven that he is more than capable of outstanding performances, but this was his first major role (before this, he was known for TV work). Few actors can stand toe to toe with a force of nature like Robert DeNiro, but even at that young age, DiCaprio is up to the task. From innocent to rebellious, DiCaprio allows Jack to grow into a self-sufficient adult who can stand up to Dwight.
It wouldn't be a surprise to say that DeNiro is outstanding. He's never given a bad performance (even in awful movies like "Stone"), but this is probably one of his most impressive and demanding. Roger Ebert probably described Dwight best in his review when he said that Dwight is like a child. Dwight is immature and unable to effectively live as an adult. The last level of maturity has bypassed him, and he's even less able to deal with a teenage kid than Caroline is. The complexities that DeNiro is able to capture in Dwight is incredible.
Michael Caton-Jones, a Scottish import, directs this film with a sure feel for character development, but the editing is confusing. The timeline is fuzzy; it's sometimes difficult to determine how much time has passed from one scene to the next. Chris Cooper's scene is a case in point. I didn't know if it was a flashback or not. Such poor handling is severely detrimental to a film, especially a character-based one.
The film is also far too long, especially the first hour. These characters are interesting, yes, but the film moves too slowly. A little aggressive pruning would have probably earned the film a solid recommendation (ten minutes would have probably done the trick).
As it is, it's an almost-but-frustratingly-not-quite movie.
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