Search

Borstal Boy

2000, Movie, NR, 91 mins

Borstal Boy: Review

BORSTAL BOY
starstarstarstar
Given the serious subject matter, this adaptation of Irish writer Brendan Behan's autobiographical novel is surprisingly light and exceedingly good-natured. The film opens in WWII-era Liverpool, as 16-year-old I.R.A. soldier Brendan (American actor Shawn Hatosy, with a respectable brogue) steps off a steamer and checks into a seedy rented room. He begins to assemble a bomb. Moments later, English agents kick open the door and Brendan is arrested. Found guilty of conspiracy, but too young to be sent to prison, Brendan is packed off to Borstal, a reformatory for boys in East Anglia. It's run by the avuncular governor Joyce (Michael York), a disciplinarian only when he absolutely needs to be. Brendan is handed a woolen jumper and a pair of short trousers, and introduced to the diverse group of boys with whom he'll be bunking for the next four years. There's a Polish Jew who escaped certain death at the hands of Nazis but was later arrested stowing away on a British ship; a Scot (Robin Laing) with a penchant for escaping; a sinister lad from Liverpool (Lee Ingleby) who's been convicted of rape; and Charlie Millwall (Danny Dyer), a gay sailor and petty thief who takes a shine to Brendan. As Brendan's initial distaste for Charlie turns to something approaching sexual attraction, Brendan also begins to develop as a person: He manages to put aside his Republican hatred for all Englishmen and embrace his fellow Borstal boys. He also develops as an artist, and is encouraged to become a writer by Joyce's comely daughter, Liz (Eva Birthistle), who's sitting out the Blitz in East Anglica. The film's tone is more TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS than SLEEPERS — despite the fact that, before their abolition in 1982, Borstals were notorious for corporal punishment — and is similarly episodic. Most of the episodes, like the boys' production of The Importance of Being Ernest (part of Brendan's artistic and sexual awakening involves a growing appreciation of Oscar Wilde), are lighthearted, but a few — like the escape attempt that ends in tragedy and a pair of near rapes — are dead serious. And while it's nice to see so little fuss made over sexual, religious and national differences, first-time feature director Peter Sheridan (whose brother is MY LEFT FOOT director Jim Sheridan) smoothes over sources of conflict that could have lent the film a bit more depth. leave a comment --Ken Fox
Advertisement

Shop

Borstal Boy
Buy Borstal Boy from Amazon.com
From Strand Releasing (DVD)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarhalfstarstar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $26.99 (as of 11/10/09 9:22 AM EST - more info)

more Borstal Boy products

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. Dancing with the Stars
  2. The Game
  3. NCIS
  4. American Idol
  5. Wife Swap
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Carrie Prejean
  2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  3. Christian Serratos
  4. Toni Braxton
  5. Tiffani Thiessen
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. A Christmas Carol
  2. This Is It
  3. Men Who Stare At Goats
  4. The Fourth Kind
  5. Paranormal Activity
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. Dancing With The Stars
  2. NCIS
  3. Real Housewives of Orange Coun...
  4. Desperate Housewives
  5. Legend of the Seeker
more top videos