Rating: 
Summary: Hugely entertaining, touching and warm
Review: Why people keep banging on about Hugh Grant's performance in 'About A Boy' is beyond me. Now, it's not that he's not excellent, because he is, but there are so many other excellent, multi-faceted performances in here, and they really are deserving of as much attention as Grant.The plot follows that of Grant as Will, a single man whose ineptitude at relationships has left him very alone at the age of 38. Upon realising that single mothers are an untapped source of women and one-night stands, he invents himself a child and joins the group SPAT (Single Parents Alone Together). Here he meets Susie, who introduces him to Marcus (Nicholas Hoult) and his hippie, depressive mother Fiona (Toni Collette). From here, Will and Marcus form an unlikely attachment as the man teaches the boy about trendy living, and the boy teaches the man about human relationships. Although the screenplay does interfere quite a bit with the story laid down in Nick Hornby's excellent original novel (of the same name, and well worth a read), this becomes immaterial in the face of powerhouse performances from the three leads. Grant as Will is very convincing as the emotionally-frozen man who starts to thaw slowly. He's wry and detached, and his trademark Brit-Flop method of acting is wisely reigned in here. He's very, very good as Will. Nicholas Hoult as Marcus is truly excellent, a highly gifted child actor playing a part which is essentially adult in attitude and depth, and he does a supreme job with the character of the slightly indie, left-field Marcus. And Toni Collette is simply stunning as the hapless Fiona, a hippie-mom whose passion for individuality leads to her son's ostracisation and her own depression. She is tender, believable and heartwarming, and generates huge amounts of sympathy for her character. Direction is really very, very good, with some interesting arial shots and gorgeous camerawork used by the brothers Weitz to illustrate various states of emotional turmoil experienced by the three protagonists. This creativity and professionalism, as well as the general all-round feeling of warm detatchment created by the film, is a far greater testament to the Weitz Boys' talent than any of the abysmal 'American Pie' trilogy. All in all, this is a really wonderful movie. Warming, thought-provoking and refreshingly different, it's a triumph of acting and a hugely welcome change from the Hollywood Brigade. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: About a Need for Relationships
Review: This is a story about a coming of age for someone who is still selfish acting like a boy at the age of 38. The irony of a young lad who has a feeling for the important things influencing a change in a grown up with no feeling for anything but himself. Through out the movie, Grant's character Will is getting closer and closer to being an honest person with some meaning in his life. It takes a young boy with a need, Marcus, to shake that lose in him. You can read the othe reviews about what he was up to originally, yet the touching part about the movie is how much Will grows to care, to care in general for someone and something without looking for anything in return. Isn't that really where life has meaning anyway. The movie is an attempt to teach that by caring we can help others in ways that even we do not understand. This movie is brilliantly cast and produced. You wonder if you are going to shut it off at first, yet the humor in the movie keeps you going until you just enjoy the plot and the story and you get to hoping that something gets better for someone. This movie gives hope to those who may have nothing. Marcus is the teacher, the one with the can do attitude. If we could be like children when it comes to relationships our world would be so much better.
Rating:
Summary: full of cliches, but still good!
Review: I think the movie is very good and touching that most people would enjoy. At the same time, it fulled of cliches. Great material (it is based on Nick Hornby book), good work of directors and acting compensate and make the difference. I thought I wouldn't be able to stand one more Hugh Grant appearance that is so familiar from many other his movies. But somehow this movie makes me forget about other similar acting gigs by Grant. The movie leaves yoou with a very nice a warm feelings and what else can you ask from romantic comedy - hard to believe that the same directors (Paul & Chris Weitz) did 'American Pie'.
Rating: 
Summary: Dealing with Isolation, Misery and the Need for Connection
Review: This was a very neat movie dealing with isolation, misery and the need for connection. It's about 3 people who are in a bind, stuck in isolation, not really knowing how to deal with it or how to change it---plus they are surrounded by folks that either don't see them, or are well meaning, but cannot connect with them to help them. The three people are Will (Grant), Marcus the boy, and his mother, Fiona (Collette). Will technically should be in Nirvana, he is wealthy, doesn't work, is attractive enough to nail a different gal every night, yet really isn't doing much with his life--no passions like travel, golf, friends, etc. His idea of Christmas is watching videos and getting drunk at home, alone. His domineering Stephord-Wife sister & dope husband constantly has humiliating "interventions" with him, even in public, trying to fix his "loser-ness". They want him to live just like they do, with the house, baby and spoiled uncontrolleable-animal toddler that hits folks in the sack, goo on the upholstery--not appealing. For all that he feels "OK", he keeps searching for the next woman---as opposed to hiring an escort service which would be more logical for what he claims to "want" in a woman. He's even started an elaborate scheme to meet single mothers, thinking low-risk target. (Still not an escort service, so I think he does hope ultimately for connection.) He is very aware that his lifestyle is a turnoff to most women who have interests & passions. He never keeps anybody around long enough to get close and risk more pain. Basically, he's not really living what could be a really cool life. Fiona is a new-age hippy vegetarian music-therapist, and is raising her boy, Marcus, that way. For all her career and success at living the completely hippy, vegetarian lifestyle, you would think she would be in bliss too, but she too is desperately sad and alone, without many friends. She is very controlling over her boy, and he has no way to rebel against her controlling, politically-correct dominations. Marcus, who has only his mother's viewpoints, none of his own in the beginning, is a very nerdy, granola boy. His mother screeches "I love you's" at his school playground, making him giant Bulleye. He's completely dressed the opposite of all the other kids, plus he retreats from reality quite often, going into fantasyland and singing at the worst times. He's watching his mother slide down the depression slope, and after her attempt at suicide, he decides to bring in extra help--unsuspecting Will. Will accidentally met Marcus while trying to score on one single mother. Marcus sized him up and decided he was a good material for helping his mother. Unfortunately, Will wasn't interested. But, Marcus craves friendship, since he had none, and his mother is a basketcase. So, the adventure begins with Marcus pursuing the unwilling Will. You can see though, that Will is growing to really depend on the human contact. I do think they are about the same age, although not sure what age that is. The boy has been parenting his mother, watching her depression progress, trying to fix it. Will runs away from any human emotions... (Although Will finds babies and toddlers unappealing, I don't at all think this point makes him immature. That idea comes from "obsessed-with-children"-types that bully you to worship their demon-children, or get labeled awful things.) Anyway, you see the change these folks bring about in each other. Maybe they each provide a safe place to bring about change. Marcus finally has a place and a friend to talk about his things without anybody trying to control his thoughts. Mom finally gets some realistic feedback on her parenting and mental health, plus somebody caring about her that knows the truth. Will finally has a safe, land-mine free place to experiment with feelings, a buddy to pal around with, and grows some bravery. Other good films to watch with: "Whale Rider", "High Fidelity" are other good personal growth films.
Rating:
Summary: About A Boy is Just About Perfect
Review: About a boy is an absolute masterpiece...Hugh Grant does a wonderful job as the portrayal of Will the shallow lounge bug who has never worked a day in his life thanks to his dad's one hit wonder "Santa's Super Sleigh" but Marcus played but an extraordinary young actor changes Will and his whole prospective on life...this movie is touching funny and a great chick flick...Butter the popcorn and rent or buy this movie today!
I only have one questioned why wasn't Hugh Grant nominated for an Oscar?!?!
Rating:
Summary: Predictable, but still a winner
Review: As soon as I read this book, I knew it'd be made into a movie, and who else but Hugh Grant to play the lead role? Perfect casting, not only of Grant but of everyone else, too. The movie begins with Grant, independently wealthy, a confirmed, selfish and self-centered bachelor who decides to improve his dating odds by seeking out single moms. He of course gets into all sorts of tangles by pretending to be a single dad with a child of his own. Then he meets a boy, the child of a suicidal mother, who becomes both his nemesis and his savior.
Wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: The Only Good Movie Hugh Grant Has Ever Done
Review: This movie is fantastic. I mean utterly, charmingly, endearingly fantastic. Which is horribly shocking, because Hugh Grant seems to try making attrocious movies deliberately, as he just did again with the vastly overrated and vastly sugar-coated brain killer called "Love Actually."
This movie is so much better than anything else Hugh Grant has appeared in that it's like a shining trophy standing out against a backdrop of fake dog poo. No, make that real dog poo.
Rating:
Summary: Surprised!
Review: Do people like to write allot or what?! I'm keeping this short. I don't know what made me buy this movie, I did not even think it was going to be good. After I watched it I was surprised at how good it was and how much I liked it. Hugh Grant is an awsome actor. The little kid is awsome. Bla bla bla, you should be watching this movie already to make up your own mind.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than I thought
Review: OK -- the feature on this dvd turned out to be pretty good. But making you sit through a trailer advert after hitting play is just unconscionably atrocious! Hitting menu is not allowed, either! Horribly awful! I was tempted to give this dvd 1 star because of this wholly lamentable, egregious failing -- but, as I said, the movie itself turned out to be not all that bad. Rather big of me, don't you think?
Rating:
Summary: No Man Is An Island...Or Is He?
Review: When my friend suggested we go see this movie, I thought I was getting dragged to some chick flick. I was reluctant, but she wasn't in town long and so I went. When I came out from watching to movie, I was stunned silent. So was she. And generally we both love analyzing books & movies to death. All either of us could say was, "That was one of the best movies I've ever seen." And we understood each other's silence and rested in the comfort that the other had been just as stunned. Does that sound too dramatic? I'm sorry if it does. I was, after all, expecting complete romantic rubbish. And I don't hate Hugh Grant by any stretch of the imagination, but his characters aren't really inspiring. If you feel that way, though, you should watch this movie. You really catch a different side of him. He plays an intelligent, witty, self-absorbed bachelor...which, apparently, is much closer to who Hugh Grant is as a person. No insult is intended...but, from what I read, Grant appears to a loner, an introvert, a perfectionist, and - well - a bachelor ever since some unfortunate events in his life. OK, that all said, I should move onto the movie's plot. Basically, you have this incredibly selfish bachelor (Grant) whose character is immediately engaging because he is incredibly aware of & honest about being selfish. I found his character to be a complete breath of fresh air after being surrounded by so many people pretending to be something else. He was honest...and he was even sincere if you could look his armor of self-indulgent behaviors. Then you have this boy Marcus. (Yes, it's about a real 12 year old boy. It's not a romance about some guy.) And this boy is incredibly intelligent for his age. Incredibly! But he's also completely lost in his own world - which you can understand when you meet his mother...and, later, his father. His clothes are enough to get him beat up without his singing in class & getting walked to school by his mom. But, don't worry, it's not as predictable as Grant getting together with Marcus's mom. That would make it a romance. Instead, you have a very quirky set of events to bring this man and this boy together. Some of the events are some of the funniest scenes I'd seen in a long time. However, some of the other scenes are an unglamorized look at the struggles most people are going through. And, I must mention that I absolutely LOVE the wake-up call given to the hippy, earth-loving culture. I somewhat border on this culture b/c I love trees & earth & loose clothing & all things natural. However, sometimes it goes too far and this movie calls it like it is...which I never thought would happen in a liberal industry like film. I thought a film would be trashed immediately if it questioned such lifestyles. But this script is so intelligent & realistic that you can't help but agree. Ultimately, I think it's this interlacing of witty genius, sincere characters, bold commentary and realistic emotion that makes this movie a masterpiece. You never can relax and dismiss it as a comedy. But you can never settle & dismiss it as a drama. It's this incredibly poignant mix of antics, relationships - functional & disfunctional, sincere characters with flaw, and vivid realism that draws me in to this movie every time I watch it. I have yet to get tired of this movie & I love sharing the joy of it with others.
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