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The Boys
1997
Harrowing drama about three Australian brothers, Brett, Stevie, and Glenn, one of whom, Brett (Wenham), has just returned home from prison. Angry that neither his family nor his girlfriend bothered to write or visit him in prison, Brett soon starts to assert his old control over his family. Eventually, Brett succeeds in getting .. Read more
| Starring | John Polson, Toni Collette, David Wenham, Anthony Hayes |
|---|---|
| Director | Rowan Woods |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Boys
Harrowing drama about three Australian brothers, Brett, Stevie, and Glenn, one of whom, Brett (Wenham), has just returned home from prison. Angry that neither his family nor his girlfriend bothered to write or visit him in prison, Brett soon starts to assert his old control over his family. Eventually, Brett succeeds in getting his two brothers back under his thumb, despite protests from their frightened wives. As Brett causes more tension to erupt in the house, his mother throws he and his brothers out. Through unsettling flash forwards that hint towards some unspeakable violence, we learn what happened later that night. Impeccably filmed, with a dark, grimy, foreboding and noirish atmosphere, the film boasts a bravura performance from Wenham, who is masterful at being on the verge of exploding with rage. An incredibly powerful, stylish, and assured first feature from former experimental filmmaker Woods.
| Starring | John Polson, Toni Collette, David Wenham, Anthony Hayes, Lynette Curran, Jeanette Cronin |
|---|---|
| Director | Rowan Woods |
| Studio | CINEMA CLUB |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 22 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: not available Production year: 1997 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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John Byrne's love of 1950s rock 'n' roll shone through his superb TV series Tutti Frutti and it also forms a musical background to this flawed but quirkily entertaining drama. Based on two of Byrne's plays, it's a coming-of-age tale about three young lads employed in a carpet factory who dream of escape from their bleak working-class surroundings. Byrne draws out fine performances from a largely unknown cast and lovingly evokes the era, shooting almost entirely on studio sets to give his movie a magical, stylised feel. The superb, eclectic soundtrack mixes Little Richard and Chuck Berry with such Scottish contemporary artists as Edwyn Collins and the Proclaimers.
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Chilling portrait of a manipulative and aggressive psychopath; by the end we are no wiser, though more appalled, than we were at the beginning.
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Most helpful member's review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Aussie Talent
Whilst this film won't sit comfortably with most people, it offers a slice of Australian life not often seen (and I think it's based on real-life events although don't quote me on that!) Set in Sydney's Western suburbs in the late-90's, it follows the story of a family - a mother and her 3 grown sons - torn apart by their violent past and in unnerving glimpses - their violent future. Taking place on the day son Brett (David Wenham) gets out of jail, the grainy voyeuristic look and displaced camera angles reflect the disjointed mood of the film.
However, this Aussie offering might be more interesting to film fans because the cast is made up of the cream of Australian talent before they got discovered by Tinseltown, including Toni Collette (Sixth Sense, About A Boy), David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) who also acted as Associate Producer on the film, and John Polson (Mission Impossible II).
Critically acclaimed but little known, if you are a fan of Australian cinema don't miss this. -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Aussie Talent
Whilst this film won't sit comfortably with most people, it offers a slice of Australian life not often seen (and I think it's based on real-life events although don't quote me on that!) Set in Sydney's Western suburbs in the late-90's, it follows the story of a family - a mother and her 3 grown sons - torn apart by their violent past and in unnerving glimpses - their violent future. Taking place on the day son Brett (David Wenham) gets out of jail, the grainy voyeuristic look and displaced camera angles reflect the disjointed mood of the film.
However, this Aussie offering might be more interesting to film fans because the cast is made up of the cream of Australian talent before they got discovered by Tinseltown, including Toni Collette (Sixth Sense, About A Boy), David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) who also acted as Associate Producer on the film, and John Polson (Mission Impossible II).
Critically acclaimed but little known, if you are a fan of Australian cinema don't miss this. -
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