The Butcher Boy (1998)

I'm not sure how or why or where I heard of this film, and even less sure what prompted me to buy it. I remember being slightly intrigued by the prospect of a (very) dark comedy about a young boy's dramatic life and loss of innocence, but it still stayed on my "to-watch-list" for a very long time. The simple fact is that this film seems to be largely forgotten and ignored, which, as I discovered when I finally watched it, is a real shame. It's the story of Francie, a boy with a depressed mother and alcoholic father, who escapes to fantasy worlds to deal with the real one. One by one the things that are keeping him somewhat sane are taken from him and as they are, he lashes out ever more drastically and violently. All this is set to the background of the Cuban missile crisis, which also enters the story in the last act. What sets the film apart from other such efforts are two things: amazing actors, especially newcomer Eamonn Owens, who plays Francie, that manage to make the story come alive, and a tenderness in the telling of the horrific tale that makes it both bearable to watch and yet drives home the horrible situation even more. This film is not for everyone and there are also many flaws, but it managed to draw me in and fascinate me as few films have done before. If you can manage to get your hands on it, I highly recommend it.

The movie is basically about growing up under tough circumstance, which is not without its emotional scars and eventually leads up to only more tragedy. It makes the movie sound like such a downer but the movie actually has a sort of light and pleasant atmosphere to it, that is hard to describe or compare to anything else but bottom-line is that it works out well and makes the movie a still mostly pleasant one.Not that the movie is always easy to watch though. It's still being a bit of a difficult movie to follow at times but it never goes overboard with anything. The movie just takes a too light and simplistic approach for that, which is all something positive in this case.I didn't really expected this but it really is a movie that is all about its young characters. All of the adults are truly being secondary characters in this and I would say that Eamonn Owens is on the screen for about 95% of the time, if not an 100% but just don't pin me on that. And I quite like movies that are entirely being told from the viewpoint of a young kid. I don't know, it's always easy to somewhat identify with I guess, since everybody used to be a young kid at one point.You also could say that it's a movie about the loss of innocence. Due to circumstance the young characters in this movie have to mature very fast, while they still have the needs and minds of a young child in them. This leads to some pretty surprising developments at times. Thing that this movie mostly has going for it is its originality. It's being original with its story but even more so with its approach. It also was the right approach to take in my opinion, since this movie would had been an incredible dry and heavy one had it been done as a completely serious drama.Definitely watchable but I should still say that this movie most definitely won't be everybody's cup of tea.7/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

This is a terrific film from Neil Jordan: paving the way for some of his later, more famous works - but to my mind, this is his best film. Once you get past the quirk of casting Sinead O'Connor as Our Lady (a performance of great respect and ability, it turns out...) and get into the film, it's clear from an early stage that you are watching something pretty special. The acting is first rate throughout. The plaudits awarded to Eamonn Owens as Francie Brady are entirely deserved - it is a REMARKABLE performance, devoid of any guile or staginess, full of the intensity and sadness of childhood. He is supported by acting greats Stephen Rea and Fiona Shaw as his father, and nemesis respectively, and there isn't a bum note in the whole thing. It is an imaginative and almost unbearably sad film (and as only sad films can be it is also remarkably funny) that deserves to enjoy huge success and CERTAINLY deserves a DVD release, which at time of writing, was already long overdue.

Why, Francie Brady, of course. WOW...Watched this for the first time a few weeks ago after seeing it sitting on video stores shelves for years and years now and haven't stopped recommending it since. Great performances from not just the outstanding cast but everyone involved in this, from costume design to location scouts. Unfortunately for them, the show is absolutely stolen by Eamonn Owens as the larger than life Francie Brady. Not for everyone but for those with a taste for the different this film was made for you. A great mix of pitch black humor, heartfelt drama and the macabre this film stands beyond simple A, B or C classification. It is neither comedy, drama or horror but something created from a mix of the three. Can't believe I walked past this so many times without renting it. Think "Angelas Ashes" meets "Pink Floyd: The Wall" or and you've hit the tip of the iceberg on this excellent film. The thick Irish accents can be a bit tough to understand in a few places but most of it is easy enough to decipher. If you liked "The Wicker Man", "Clockwork Orange" and "King of the Hill" (the movie, not the Mike Judge TV show, although that is quite good in it's own right too but I digress....)I can guarantee this will be well worth your two hours. Again, not for everyone but for those who like their comedy or drama with a deep dark twist..it's the goods. Am buying the VHS version as that's all that is available and will wait patiently for a DVD release of this. On my Top 10 films of all time list.