About a Boy (2002), with Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult: Movie Review

Hugh Grant finds the right tone for each scene, with one exception, I think (the one where he says, "Yes, I am that shallow," or something of the sort). He's very likeable and performs easily, with grace -- but somehow a little too much of his performance in previous movies shows up. I'm thinking of a lot of superficial mimicry which he can pull off, but which doesn't build up a lot of drama -- with the exception of a scene where he's despondent over disappointing Rachel: now that's great acting! I wish we could see more of that from him.

Nicholas Hoult as Marcus is fantastic. With a small range of facial expressions, he managed to rise up to the challenge of hitting the right notes in portraying an ingenuous, well-meaning kid, with great love for his depressive mother and the right instincts for keeping his head above water, despite problems at home and bullying at school. Kudos to those who cast him as Marcus, as well as to Nicholas Hoult for playing the part so well.

What I would have liked to see more of in the movie was the kind of humor Nick Hornby gave Will in the book, and the way Marcus didn't pick up on it. There is some of this in the deleted scenes. Speaking of deleted scenes, they are fun but somehow don't fit with the tone of the movie and the elements in the book the movie chose to emphasize.

Toni Collette does a great job as always, and Rachel Weisz, even though she doesn't have much screen time, simply shines.

In the end it's a satisfying movie. Just like Nick Hornby's book, which is a perfectly pitched book without being an ambitious literary project, this movie manages to find an uplifting and entertaining -- if not bold and provocative -- way to tell a beautiful small story.

I recommend you read the book as well. Here's my review of Nick Hornby's About a Boy, complete with a short synopsis.