BY Pihu Pathania
Felix Van Groeningen directed his impactful English-language debut with Beautiful Boy. As known to have the ‘dark horrors’ of life being showcased in his films, this movie hits closer to home with the representation of the recently spoken of problem on Counter Narcotics, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on 24 September 2018.
While the issue is ever relevant, — even in a country like ours, along its thorough representation with the making of the movie Udta Punjab — Beautiful Boy stands apart by focusing on one of the most unlikely and turbulent relationships known to mankind, that is, of a father and a son. While the movie is an adaptation of memoirs written by the real-time affected father and son, David Sheff and Nic Sheff; the story isn’t only about the addict and the obvious affected parent but, the bystanders as well.
The story opens with David (Steve Carell) who is shown meeting up with a person enquiring about drugs in search for a way to help his beloved son. Building upon the hitch, the movie rewinds one year prior. Conveyed by a series of events it is gathered that Nic (Timothée Chalamet) had started feeding his hunger for drugs at a very young age while still at school, and was in denial of this act.
After being persuaded to go to rehab once again after fleeing, Nic seems to have fixed his toxic affection after all. Sent to school to purse his childhood dream to be a writer, Nic not only embraces being sober but, has begun a relationship with his classmate. Unfortunately, the presence of a bottle of pills in his girlfriend’s house is enough to send him spiralling down the same path. The story battles the same relapse and the cause and affect to the son and father respectively.
While the ‘Beautiful Boy’ Timothée Chalamet’s astonishing performance lead him to be nominated in this year’s Golden Globes yet again, Maura Tierney’s role as the stepmother of Nic Sheff has not garnered the acclaim it deserves. Playing the mediator in the father-son conflict, Tierney was seen making her turns out of the way to put her husband’s mind at rest who she knows was running for his own peace among the chaos of their two kids. The car chasing scene with Nic trying to out run his stepmother has a very gripping effect on the audience, the desperation in the watery eyes of the two drivers has you understanding exactly what frustration and care is when mixed in the same bowl.
During an interview with Fox 5’s entertainment reporter, Kevin McCarthy, the actors had confessed that like the rest of the movies the actors were asked to shoot multiple scenes during a single day each of which were packed with a different set of emotions, thereby, making it even harder for the details to showcase. However, this definitely wasn’t used as an excuse; as in the movie it is evident enough how minute details of being emotionless. For instance, in the clip where Nic and his girlfriend are breaking into his father’s house they are entirely expressionless; it is almost scary to watch- but due to the impact of the drugs consumed by the two they have absolutely neither remorse nor fear as they enter the house.
With each shudder leaving you in goosebumps, this definitely was the most underrated movie of the year 2018.
Tabeer 