Boy A

Grade: A

Boy A is a little-known British film that was produced this year. It's nearing the end of its theater run right now and should be on DVD shortly. It's a very powerful, thought-provoking film. Jack is a young man who has been in juvenile hall for about a decade for a crime that he committed as a child. He is now being released into the world, with a new identity, a job, and careful guidance by his caretaker, a worn, good-hearted social worker named Terry. Jack is determined to make a new start for himself, but he's haunted by the memories of his past, particularly his deep friendship with an abused boy named Phillip who was his accomplice in the crime for which he was imprisoned.

The real skill of the filmmaker of Boy A was in creating such empathy for Jack. Even knowing that he has done something terrible--the crime is not shown until the very end--the audience cannot help but be drawn in by his shy smiles and his desperate attempts to reconnect with the world. The movie makes us want to believe that Jack was falsely accused, or that there was some excuse for his behavior. The flashbacks leading up to the crime give us sympathy, an understanding that Jack was so very alone and dependent on Phillip that maybe his involvement in a crime is justified.

My only complaints about the movie are that it drags a bit in some places, and that the sound quality is awful. Seeing it in the theater, I couldn't hear half of what was being said, and the half I could hear was so heavily accented that it was a constant strain to make it out. Despite that, this movie really makes you think about what redemption means, whether it's possible for someone to change, and whether there are acts that are truly unforgiveable.