Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Micransix Crappy film

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

arcticurse I discovered this as i was hunting for Aidan Gillen films, and saw it had decent reviews. I wont go into the plot, as others have already. OK so this is a 'thinky' psychological film, and it reminded me a lot of the film 'The Machinist' (I'd recommend that if you liked this), but without the stylish effects. I thought Gillen would be too 'pretty' to pull off the role of a social misfit, but his acting is brilliant throughout, and his looks even help us to like the character more. His character is good at heart but completely sheltered. The female character is acted very naturally, though there is a certain ambiguity to her. The invalid mother is also well acted, initially I thought she was pretty light-hearted (if a little eccentric) but as the film progresses we see she has several 'other sides' to her personality.The film has several themes running through it, which to me, were: the growth of the main character's confidence and opinions(which develops possibly into madness), his changing views on religion, and the relationship with his mother, and of course the mystery of what the female neighbour is up to. There was also a lot of emphasis on some kidnapped little girl, but I wasn't quite sure how this fitted in with the story.For me, one of the best bits in the film is when Francis challenges gloria about her vegan-ism, and to me it was a parallel with religion. He was pretty devout at the start of the film, and defends that Jesus died for us even though we don't all love him. Yet he shouts at Gloria 'you would rather starve to death than eat a hamburger? You would die for a cow that's already dead?' Towards the end of the film, Francis is more outspoken, and is finally breaking free from the world his mother forces him to remain in, but his obsession with Gloria's eating habits start to rule his life. The whole thing is very ambiguous, and we don't know if it is true or he is just imagining it, and no there is no conclusion at the end! which keeps us guessing. In terms of style, its not the most eye-pleasing film. As i've said it is similar to The Machinist in it's dreary depiction of life and the surreal, repetitive shots used. The music is fairly un-noticeable throughout the film apart from the blasts of rock music at Francis' workplace, which helps to break up the monotony of the sets used, as its mostly set in Francis or Glorias apartments. the music at the opening credits is very creepy and Silent Hill-ish! Overall I'd say you'll enjoy this if you like psychological films you have to think about. There's little action, and basically no horror, but an interesting watch. My only complaint is that the film is way too long, pretty slow paced and tends to drag on too much in the first half. But give it a go!

EVOL666 I'd originally watched BUDDY BOY about three years ago but never reviewed it for some reason. I remembered how I felt about it but wanted to revisit again before I made any comments in on it.The storyline involves around Francis-a 'nice' but a bit slow and socially-retarded individual who has no life other than working at a photo-development shop and taking care of his alcoholic, piece of sh!t stepmother. A chance encounter with a sexy neighbor (who Francis has been spying on) works out in his favor when said neighbor seems to recognize his decent qualities despite his awkwardness-and goes so far as to bone the poor sap. They begin a 'relationship' of sorts-but as Francis becomes more obsessed with sexy-neighbor and his paranoia gets the best of him-things start spiraling downward rapidly...Overall-BUDDY BOY is a decent film that touches on subjects concerning obsession, paranoia, mental break-down, reality vs. fantasy, etc...in other words-all things that make for a laugh-a-minute joyride. But seriously- there are some heady subjects that are touched on and handled well. I guess my only gripes are that the film feels like a hundred other films that I've seen that deal with the same basic subject-matter. What BUDDY BOY is at it's heart-is basically REAR WINDOW with elements of every other paranoia-themed film out there. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing-as this one stands up well on it's own-I just don't feel that I'm seeing anything new or original. Also- although the pace is decent in terms of trying to build suspense and keep the viewer guessing-it still felt a little over-long to me. I think a bit of trimming in the editing room could have made it a bit more streamlined. The semi-ambiguous but predictable ending felt rehashed as well. If it sounds like I'm bagging on this one-I'm really not. It's well- acted, well-shot, and a solid film overall...I just didn't leave the film feeling like I saw anything fresh or extremely noteworthy...7/10

Betty Hood Loved it. Sensitive depiction of schizophrenia. And, of course, a multitude of other subjects that keep us wondering about the existence of God and the role of religion. Superb acting by all. Susan Tyrrell is simply amazing as Sal, and so is Aidan Gillen, as Francis, the protagonist, who cannot differentiate between what is real and what is not, and his eventual acceptance of that. Emmanuelle Seigner (who is married to Roman Polanski) is also terrific, with a subdued performance. Beautiful sets and lighting. Lush scenes of healthy food will make you hungry, and contrast beautifully with visions of cannibalism. We are forced to face our beliefs in God, and whether you believe in God or not, what we see is a depiction of a God that is cruel and selfish. What else could it be? Brilliant.

xterd This disturbing and hilarious film achieves a delicate balance of the macabre and the absurd. At times it approaches satire, but its ultimate dramatic intensity belies a more serious study of faith and alienation. The performances of Aidan Gillen, as Francis, the lonely introvert voyeur, and Susan Tyrrell, his abusive mother, are exceptional. The production design and cinematography together create a strange and haunting world. One particularly interesting element is the use of sound to convey the protagonist's changing psychological perspective. Overall, this film has the unusual characteristic of staying with you long after you've seen it. I would highly recommend it.