The line from John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” can sum up the whole story of the like-named film, “Beautiful Boy.” A real-life story of a father’s constant battle against his son’s drug addiction reminds us how important a father is in our lives. It reminds us that a father is a protector of his children from all the monsters of this world… One who is always with us and assures us that no matter what happens, everything is going to be okay.
Based on the books “Beautiful Boy” and “Tweak” (written by David Sheff and Nic Sheff respectively), this film portrays how drug addiction affects somebody and their loved ones in every possible way. It further comments on how it strains relationships in a family and degrades one’s status in the society.
Timothée Chalamet nails his role of the drug addict son, Nic Sheff, with his performance here. He gets into the skin of the character and really makes you feel his drive and suffering. His subtle actions are sublime, and he delivers a character arc that is sometimes hard to watch.
As his father, David Sheff, Steve Carell underplays his role but portrays brilliantly the conflict of a father to do whatever he can to protect his son. Amy Ryan and Maura Tierney are good in their respective roles as Nic’s mother and stepmother; but sadly the film draws little attention to these characters and their emotions.
Firstly, the relationship between Nic and his father is beautifully established by the non-linear narrative. The flashbacks actually help to understand the dynamics between them. The editing is also wonderful, which beautifully captures the conflicts of both Nic and his father with smart match cuts and intercuts. However, sometimes the non-linearity of the cinematography interrupts the flow of the film. But it’s forgivable for the attempt as the film connects and affects us. Sadly, it never showcases how Nic gets into the world of drugs. Therefore, Nic’s character sometimes felt distant to me.
But at the end, it is quite a loving film about the father-son relationship with the portrayal of a harsh reality affecting the youth in America. It reminds us no matter how bad a situation we are stuck into, there are some people who just can’t give up on us. They are our loved ones. For them we always are their “Beautiful Boy” (or girl).
