February 2, 2009
Buddy Boy–a review
The film Buddy Boy apparently came out in 1999, and I don’t know how I’ve missed seeing it. I watched it on IFC’s On Demand over the weekend. This film is fucking great. The storyline involves a lonely introvert named Francis, played by Aidan Gillen (maybe you remember him in Queer as Folk), who works at a photo processing store and cares for his ailing stepmother who apparently has fistula. The film is dark—it opens with a masturbation scene and builds nicely. At first Francis rarely speaks, and we have several scenes of him coming and going to work, riding the bus, staring closely at pictures. It isn’t clear if Francis is slow or mentally ill. He stutters, stares at pictures, doesn’t bother combing his hair or worrying about his appearance. He goes to his priest to confess his “impure” thoughts. We like Francis because he seems completely innocent and quiet and nice enough to carry his stepmother while having to listen to her hateful comments.
Where the film gets really interesting is when Francis discovers a woman who has moved into the apartment across the street. He begins watching her with binoculars and one night sees her getting mugged outside. The mugger runs off, and in an attempt to thank him, the woman invites Francis over for dinner. There develops a nice relationship and the end of what we think will be Francis’s voyeurism. But it doesn’t end—he continues to watch her. He begins to see things in her apartment that we question are really happening or are his imagination. Francis is a born watcher, a voyeur. What he sees is slightly disturbing and hints of promiscuity and cannibalism, and we begin to wonder again about his sanity. Additionally, there are a couple of nice subplots that add to the darkness and suspense of the film.
This is a great script, and Aidan Gillen is fantastic. IMDB shows Mark Hanlon wrote and directed it. I think you should see it.
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One Response to “Buddy Boy–a review”
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I just discovered the film and I do agree with you. It’s a shocking film and remindes me of Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby. I liked the dark atmosphere of the film and its strange characters specially Francis which is really sympathic.
The final shot is also shocking.