Maura Tierney as Karen Barbour and Steve Carell as David Scheff in the film “Beautiful Boy.” Credit: Courtesy of TNS
The movie “Beautiful Boy” is based on the books “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction” by David Sheff and “Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines” by Nic Sheff. The movie is directed by Felix Van Groeningen, who co-wrote the screenplay with Luke Davies and stars Academy Award nominees Steve Carell, Timothee Chalamet, Amy Ryan and Golden Globe Award-winner Maura Tierney.
The movie tells the tragic story of Nic Sheff (Chalamet), a young man struggling who has a severe crystal meth addiction, and his father David Sheff (Carell) who tries to help him become sober while detailing the strain it puts on their relationship. It projects an important message about the harm drug abuse has on a person’s life, as well as the lives of those around them. The film shows the continuous struggle that comes with addiction and the harsh reality often not depicted in media.
Van Groeningen’s skilled directing ability shows throughout the film. The cinematography is also really interesting. The shots in the climatic scenes paired with the movie’s soundtrack are amazing and elevat the performances.
The performances from both Carell and Chalamet are absolutely stunning. Carell’s performance as David Sheff is truly one for the books. The emotion that poured from the screen was incredible. He gave a truly tear-jerking performance that amplifies the film’s brilliance.
Chalamet’s performance as Nic is equally amazing, from his moving lead performance to the background monologues he recited. This is one of his best performances yet. In addition to the lead roles, Tierney gives a good performance as David’s wife and really shines in many major scenes.
The movie’s storyline doesn’t sugarcoat the harsh reality of drug abuse, and doesn’t glamorize addiction and the severity of drug abuse. It dramatizes the disease in a true and raw form.
The movie is simply amazing. The timeline of events and the way the story jumps around creates some confusion, but doesn’t deter from the movie’s greatness. The movie is beautiful, and Chalamet and Carell both give powerful performances that convey the heartbreaking story of Nic and David Sheff.
4.8/5
