Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful movie but a dissappointing DVD package...
Review: "Borstal Boy" is based on the book written by Irish playwriter/novelist Brendan Behan about his experiences in a British reform school (borstal) in 1930's. During this incarceration, as potrayed in the film, we see the young writer transformed from a creature of hate to one who realises that "love is much stronger than hate". I especially like the use of silent moments that convey more emotions that any line of dialogue. Special mention has to go to the main lead, Shawn Hatosy, who briliantly played his character. His potrayal of Brendan exudes quiet nobility as well as a touch of the rouge in the main protagonist. Definately his best performance so far and an indication of the potential of this young actor. The DVD package itself is quite simplistic with trailers of other Strand Releasing DVDs in as additional material on the disk. I wished that they would have a subtitle/captioning option as the movie uses a lot of Irish and British accents that are hard to make out sometimes. The sound quality is a bit on the dissapointing side as this DVD transfer only had mono sound on it. It's very distracting trying to figure out what they are saying especially when they don't have captioning. Good thing that the picture quality is clear and sharp for this transfer. My final grade for this movie is 5 stars for the film but 3 stars for this DVD package. This DVD is definitely a keeper for those who enjoyed reading "Angela's Ashes" as well as "At Swim, Two Boys". If you have the chance to see this release in a theater, don't miss it as the sound experience is much better than this DVD. Or else you have to just make do with a dissappointing DVD package of a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful movie but a dissappointing DVD package...
Review: "Borstal Boy" is based on the book written by Irish playwriter/novelist Brendan Behan about his experiences in a British reform school (borstal) in 1930's. During this incarceration, as potrayed in the film, we see the young writer transformed from a creature of hate to one who realises that "love is much stronger than hate". I especially like the use of silent moments that convey more emotions that any line of dialogue. Special mention has to go to the main lead, Shawn Hatosy, who briliantly played his character. His potrayal of Brendan exudes quiet nobility as well as a touch of the rouge in the main protagonist. Definately his best performance so far and an indication of the potential of this young actor. The DVD package itself is quite simplistic with trailers of other Strand Releasing DVDs in as additional material on the disk. I wished that they would have a subtitle/captioning option as the movie uses a lot of Irish and British accents that are hard to make out sometimes. The sound quality is a bit on the dissapointing side as this DVD transfer only had mono sound on it. It's very distracting trying to figure out what they are saying especially when they don't have captioning. Good thing that the picture quality is clear and sharp for this transfer. My final grade for this movie is 5 stars for the film but 3 stars for this DVD package. This DVD is definitely a keeper for those who enjoyed reading "Angela's Ashes" as well as "At Swim, Two Boys". If you have the chance to see this release in a theater, don't miss it as the sound experience is much better than this DVD. Or else you have to just make do with a dissappointing DVD package of a great movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good acting w/ subtle nuances, fair film, poor DVD
Review: Borstal Boy is a film based on a book by the same name. The author, Brendan Behan, has apparently written a somewhat autobiographical piece about his time in a British Borstal (reform school or juvenile hall) as a result of his Irish IRA associations during World War II.
The film was apparently made by an American company(ies)-(I'm assuming this from the names of the companies) - but little has been provided in the film or, particularly this DVD, to see to it that American audiences can benefit from viewing this film. Let me explain...
The film is subtle and quite eloquent at times in getting across subtlties. However, it IS sometimes necessary to use something a bit less than a heavy hand to make a point. This film does not do that. Reading between the lines in a film is a fine thing, but allowing the audience to do so from a more apparent perspective would be a better approach.
The DVD misses the boat on a front near this point by simply not providing American (and frankly some British audiences) with English subtitles. In fact, there are no subtitles at all, English or otherwise! I'm a regular Anglophile, and I couldn't understand everything that was being said. There is a particual word or phrase that the boys use to - apparently - refer to homosexuality in some form or another, but I'll be #$%ed if I can tell you what it really means.
Frankly, I feel that the problem lies less with the script than it does with the director and editor. The actors are certainly up to the task.
Shawn Hatosy (is he really Irish or is he American?) and Danny Dyer are excellent in their roles. Of particular note is Danny Dyer, whose facial expressions are perfect for the screen.
The story is a pleasant, if not innocuous one. Young rebel IRA member is sent to the borstal for a period of time and becomes friends with a young sailor who's also incarcerated (however, I not sure for what reason - is is homosexuality or theft?). Rather than being gay themed - as it is NOT - the story seems to be more of a quiet little "day in the life of" sort of story with some poignant moments built in.
Not a great film, but the acting is very good and the story is satisfactory if not completely satisfying.
The DVD transfer is not great. There are sound problems and no real extras, especially not the aforementioned subtitles.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent film
Review: Hatosy is excellent in the lead role. I had no idea, before seeing this, that he could act. Dyer is also excellent. The movie is an intimate biography (it is a "small," independent film, but has fine productions standards). It was very well done.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: How can we judge a film just because you can't understand the spoken language(yes English)? The setting or the circumstances of the event, never mind the part about the CD's additional features (I laughed at that one). Yet those who complain do so with so disparity missing the point the film so obviously portrays. This was a fantastic work of self-discovery but most of all love, and what it can do to a person's state of mind. It would be very inane of me to try and explain why, but the fill can do it on its own. If you are not afraid to admit the realities of life, then this film should be in the top shelf of your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: How can we judge a film just because you can't understand the spoken language(yes English)? The setting or the circumstances of the event, never mind the part about the CD's additional features (I laughed at that one). Yet those who complain do so with so disparity missing the point the film so obviously portrays. This was a fantastic work of self-discovery but most of all love, and what it can do to a person's state of mind. It would be very inane of me to try and explain why, but the fill can do it on its own. If you are not afraid to admit the realities of life, then this film should be in the top shelf of your collection.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Surprise
Review: I never got to see this in the theatre, so I picked up a copy to watch on a long plane trip. I was completely drawn into the film and found myself wiping away tears at the end. I had never seen anything with Shawn Hatosy or Danny Dyer before, but I'll certainly be looking for their other films. I suppose I can understand some of the other reviews' quibbles, but see the film and make up your own mind. If you liked "Beautiful Thing," you'll love this.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Surprise
Review: I never got to see this in the theatre, so I picked up a copy to watch on a long plane trip. I was completely drawn into the film and found myself wiping away tears at the end. I had never seen anything with Shawn Hatosy or Danny Dyer before, but I'll certainly be looking for their other films. I suppose I can understand some of the other reviews' quibbles, but see the film and make up your own mind. If you liked "Beautiful Thing," you'll love this.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing film
Review: I was all ready to love this movie. I've been a fan of Shawn Hatosy since his debut role in "In and Out", and I thought he did a great job in the litle-seen "Outside Providence". In fact Shawn does a great job playing the lead in this movie, as 16 year old Brendan Behan, the Irish drinker with a writing problem on whose autobiographical novel this movie is based. Behan cut a wide and boistrous swath through literature and tv talk shows before dying in the 60's at age 41 of alcoholism. The message of this movie, which seems to be that it is better to love than to hate, is far too simplistic, and i'm pretty sure Behan is laughing loudly at it up in the celestial pub. As i said Shawn Hatosy proves once again what a great actor he is, although his character here does have a stutter that comes and goes at odd times. The main problem with the movie is the utter unrealism of it. After being caught smuggling explosives into liverpool from Ireland as an IRA operative, Behan is sent to an English reform school for boys because he is underage. There he encounters numerous movie cliches, including the big game, the seemingly out-of-reach love interest, the escape plot, and the we-all-can see it coming why can't they disaster (a clearly visible landmine on the beach). That last is especially egregious, because first-time director Peter Sheridan puts the scene into almost unending slow motion, complete with soldiers waving the unfortunate and seemingly blind victims away. The best scene is when Behan and his best mate finally kiss. But this is a mainstream movie, so we have to make Behan also fall in love with the headmaster's beautiful daughter, who preposterously mixes unsupervised with the inmates. (She is nowhere to be found in the book, folks.) Shawn Hatosy is the best thing in this movie; he is very believably as a 16-year-old Irish boy. I'm sure he will escape unscathed from this silly movie.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty much like the book (of the same title)
Review: I was assigned Brendan Behan as a subject for a term paper. I read a number of books, 2 written by him about his life, and 1 biography by another author as well as the movie(which I loved). Given that some events in the movie appear to have been slightly altered or dramatized for effect, I thought the movie to be a fair representation of that period of his life. If the movie is at times confusing, it is no less so than his own account of that time in his life. I recommend this movie for it's actors, as well as subject matter.
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