House Of Boys

I was not sure what to make of this film before watching it in I fact was a bit dubious about it what a wonderful suprise I found house of boys to be profoundly moving and really rather beautiful and to make it really special Mr Stephen Fry appears in it.

After watching the film went straight to amazon and bought it.

Have to say we (my partner and I) were more than impressed by this film, surprisingly. The script is dire and all over the place and some of the dialogue is bizarre, but it turned into something quite extraordinary by the end.

Udo Kier is brilliant as the Madame and Steven Webb has his greatest moment on stage during a Roy Orbison number.

Layke Anderson shines in the role of the young runaway, and the transition he takes from boy to man is compelling to watch, but it's during the second half that he really gets to do his best work, along with Eleanor David as the kind hearted ex-prostitute who watches over the boys. Her performance is incredibly understated throughout, and the final shot of her is both a devastating, real and wonderful moment.

Stephen Fry makes the most (with very little screen time) of his role as a sympathetic doctor, giving much needed warmth to the film's bleaker second hour.

Unfortunately Benn Northover was the only actor we had a problem with, looking completely out of place and coming across hollow and unlikeable, even when circumstances change for the worst.

The first half of the film is very full on, albeit not as much as one may be expecting given the 18 certificate.

If you're expecting another 'Shortbus' then you'll be disappointed by the lack of nudity/sex. The only 'real sex' in the film is credited to a couple of extras performing fellatio in a darkened room. The love scene between the leads is tame even by Hollywood standards.

The pace of the film slows down (the drag numbers drag on) right before taking a 180, with the story picking up speed during the second half. From here it becomes a different film that at times feels like a documentary, as the true horror of the AIDS virus becomes the focus of the story.

I personally preferred the second half to the first, though definitely wasn't prepared for it.

Overall it's a decent little film despite some flaws. It made us laugh, and it made us cry, but it will almost certainly divide it's audiences.