Review on 🎬 ABOUT A BOY (DVD) (WS) [Region 1]: A Heartwarming Tale of Friendship and Growth by James Ortega

This is one of those rare occasions when a product exceeds expectations. I bought About a Boy out of respect for Nicholas Hoult (I think it was his first major role) who has become one of the most charming young actors in cinema today. I was expecting to see a smug Hugh Grant, an overly sweet film starring Holt as the cutie, but what I saw instead was a creative, charming, and thought-provoking story about complex human emotions. Holt is an extremely eccentric child who is tormented by other children while dealing with the depression and suicide attempt of his single hippie mother. The relationship between mother and son is complex and atypical and goes beyond personal relationships; She has no idea how her reverent attention and subconscious attempts to turn her son into a partner rather than a child are negatively affecting him. Similarly, Grant's selfish aging rich boy has plenty of room for improvement, ultimately spurred by his unexpected, unwanted relationship with a clumsy but brave boy. The plot is simple: a horny single guy realizes he can meet vulnerable women in single parent support groups. He signs up for meetings where he's the only man, fabricates a nonexistent child with all the false emotional pressures of an equally nonexistent failed marriage, and wins the hearts of everyone around him. He honors an attractive mother, and while he initially surpasses her, the confused hippie mother's son honors him as a surrogate father to help him cope with his mother's disability. Grant's heartless lout isn't immediately melted by the annoying boy who persistently stands at his door and sneaks into his house. But as he becomes aware of the torture the child is subjected to, possibly reflecting the insensitivity he has shown towards others in his youth, he gradually takes responsibility for love. I recommend this film on many levels and only one of them is the excellent acting. It's a good movie that doesn't offer cheesy, simplistic resolutions and is ultimately very touching (although it's terrifying at times).