Beautiful Boy Review: A Haunting Story of Addiction and Family

I’ve spent the passed few nights thinking about Felix Van Groeningen’s film “Beautiful Boy.” Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers said it best when he quipped, “[Beautiful Boy is] hard to take and impossible to forget.” I echo these sentiments.

This film depicts the brutally cyclical demons of addiction, while not boasting authority over the conversation. A topic many filmmakers shy away from, however, Groeningen accepts this responsibility with aplomb. What started as a reality for the Sheff family, blossomed into two, moving memoirs and now is a film that calls for an evening indoors this fall.

I recommend this film not because it is enjoyable to watch but for the revered performances given by Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet. This, of course, is no knock on the integrity of the film’s narrative. I submit, rather, that this film is difficult to watch purposefully. Perhaps overbearing at times, but this film juggles addiction and the idea of letting your children go as well. At times, the film feels more about the feeling (as a parent) of watching your children outgrow dependency. A sad truth that permeates through the film and is brought to life by Carell’s character.

Where the actors shined, the musical score did not. The song choices made in this film are as confusing as the trials of addiction: unpredictable and strange. Notable songs include "Sound and Vision" by David Bowie, "Nanou2" by Aphex Twin, and "Territorial Pissings” by Nirvana. As a non-drug using colleague of mine said, “It’s as if you’re high and relapsing over-and-over again throughout the film.” You truly ride the ever-changing roller-coaster of addiction along with these characters, and the music is the vehicle that carries you there.

From a cinematography standpoint, the film plays exactly as expected. Using bright, natural light and dark shadows when appropriate, while also falling back on color conventions with blues and oranges. More noticeable, however, is the expressions upon the faces of the aforementioned characters. The way their foreheads twist and turn with discomfort feels oddly impressionable.

At this point, it’s fair to conclude this film is held up by it’s acting, but nevertheless an important film. If only for the final credit: Overdoses now leading cause of death of Americans under 50. This is a much bigger problem than most realize.

If you are struggling with substance abuse, please call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information.

Rating: B-

"Cars 3" Review

Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) revs up for a victory lap and a chance at one last cup before he’s pushed out of the spotlight by the new cars on the block.

This last film of the ‘Cars’ trilogy excites only the unwavering fan of the franchise. However, I will submit that ‘Cars 3’ tied a satisfying bow on a trilogy that may have otherwise lost its novelty over the years. The first ‘Cars’ movie was wildly underappreciated by the critic community, but has held vacancy in the hearts of viewers. Although I disagreed with many critics in their analyses of the original movie, I can stand firmly behind the idea that the second of the three drove way off track. At best, it is the old beat-up Camaro that dad doesn’t want to bring to the dump. But I digress.

‘Cars 3,’ while staunchly predictable, softens up the viewer to the all-so-familiar Pixar feel-good narrative. It may fall short in the echelon of movie sequels, but I enjoyed the journey it takes you on. Not to forget, however, how egregiously ‘okay’ the screenwriters were with making the plot unsurprising, the jokes repeated to the point of annoyance, and the odd use of modern technology that felt foreign in a world of 80s vehicles. But hey, the kids will love it.

The first act of the movie, the explanation of the story world so-to-speak, is brief because if you haven’t gotten it by the third movie than you don’t deserve an idiomatic setup. That being said, ‘Cars 3’ derails when the hero’s journey begins.

The strange introductions to new characters, the pathetically lazy montages, the passive protagonist, all contribute to an at-times unbearable middle act. More importantly, perhaps, is an ending that saves the legacy of the trilogy. It offers the opportunity for a ‘Cars 4,’ not that we’re asking for it, but the opportunity exists nevertheless.

As stated in the opening sentence, this movie could only possibly be enjoyed by the youngest of kids or the most delusional of Pixar fanatics. However, the message (because there is always a deeper meaning with Pixar) transcends age and intelligence. It is, simply put, the idea of the underdog. The veteran. The Rocky Balboa that is fighting for relevance. The fifty-something near retirement with nothing on the horizon. The middle age crisis of longing for purpose. The student becomes the teacher saga. A beautifully cyclical poem or a connecting puzzle that just makes sense.

As unapologetically foreseeable as the plot of ‘Cars 3’ is, give it a pass for making us smile in the end. Good save Pixar.

‘Cars 3’ is out in theaters this Friday (June 16)

Rating: C