The Boys Are Back

Amid all the Hollywood hype over vampire movies and other blockbusters comes this story that is so simple it is easy to miss.

Set in South Australia, The Boys Are Back is about loss but it is also about men, of different ages, and how they cope with it.

Clive Owen plays Joe Warr, a sports journalist who left his wife and son in England when he fell in love with Katy (Laura Fraser) and they had a son together, Artie (Nicholas McAnulty).

Tragically, Katy dies of cancer and Joe is forced to face bringing up his son on his own. Complicating matters is the fact that Artie is a bit difficult, at times he seems as though he just switches off and doesn't listen. Perhaps that is his way of coping.

When Joe's English son Harry (George MacKay) arrives, wanting to get to know his father, Joe struggles to handle his two young sons - but for very different reasons.

Harry, who is eight years older than Artie, doesn't understand why he was abandoned (in his view) by his father when he started his new family. Artie battles to keep his father's attention when Harry arrives and when other people start to invade his space.

While not a comedy by any stretch there were some very funny moments.

I had to laugh when Joe tells Artie his shoes are on the wrong feet and Artie responds 'but they are the only feet I have'.

I have to say, also, that Joe must be a very highly paid sports reporter (for what appeared to be The Australian) to be able to have the lifestyle that he does!

One thing director Scott Hicks (remember Shine) doesn't give you is definite answers and while that might be unfulfilling I think it rings true to life.

He does give you excellent performances from Owen (who is almost always very good) and the two young boys. It's very well shot and the South Australian coast is a very scenic prop to use.

This is a nice movie but not one that is going to grab you and demand your attention. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, because sometimes subtlety works. A 7.5 out of 10.