Movie Reviews

I don't know very much about Hugh Grant. Prior to seeing About a Boy, the only other films I'd seen him in were Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary. After seeing About a Boy, however, I've definitely got a lot of respect for him as an actor.

The film stars Grant as Will, a shallow guy who does nothing but bum around all day living off royalties from a lame Christmas song that his uncle wrote many years ago. As the movie begins, he's just discovered that single mothers are apparently great for short-term, guilt-free relationships, and so he pretends to have a two-year-old son so that he can attend SPAT meetings (Single Parents Alone Together) to meet women. Through his fling with one of these mothers, he soon meets up with 12-year-old Marcus (a really great young actor named Nicholas Hoult). They reluctantly become friends, as it seems as though each of them provides the other with something that had been sorely lacking in their lives (a sense of purpose for Will, and a friend and role-model for Marcus).

Basically, that's the plot in a nutshell. It's a simple idea, but the great writing and acting make it pretty special. There are some really funny parts, and Grant and Hoult are exceptionally believable as two people who'd rather not become friends, but are compelled (or desperate) to do so.

If you want to see a really good feel-good movie, About a Boy is a good choice.