Boy A is a film by John Crowley (Intermission), starring Andrew Garfield and Peter Mullan. The title refers to the court practice of giving adolescent defendants anonymity. Boy A is based on the novel by Jonathan Trigell, who maintains that Boy A is fiction. However, many believe that there are too many similarities between Boy A and the murder of James Bulger by two 10-year-old boys. In their case, the defendants were referred to as Child A (Venables) and Child B (Thompson), so it would seem that Trigell may have been concerned with the story of Jon Venables, whose background would suggest that he was the lesser of the two evils. The parallels between the Bulger murder and Boy A form the background to the film. Crowley adapts the foreground to reflect Trigell’s fictionalised account of a young criminal’s reintegration into society.
Boy A has a similar feel to Control by Anton Corbijn, another British film about the late Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. The lead characters are both on the edge, in the same age bracket, confronted with psychological barriers and have a love/hate relationship with the press. Boy A is just as beautifully shot, and Crowley’s bleak vision of humanity blankets a generation, rather than an individual. The main protagonist in Boy A is the most humane character in the story. Garfield’s performance is just short of brilliant. He embodies the spirit of a child, whose undeveloped sense of life seems to haunt him. He wants to experience life like a normal person, but his cloak of guilt, remorse and lost identity seem to gouge at his soul.
Boy A is an intense film experience that grips the audience with its secrets. Eric Wilson has adopted the name of Jack Burridge after serving time for the most heinous of crimes. His accomplice is not as lucky and soon Eric is relocated in something similar to witness protection. The press get wind of his release and there’s no surprise that the public want him dead. Although the new Eric has been rehabilitated. He shows remorse for his ghastly actions as a child, and he wants his second chance at life to be lived to the full. After showing remarkable signs of recovery, his past seems to catch up with him as the audience bears witness to his unspeakable acts.
Crowley realises the parallels with the Bulger murder, and the violence is toned down out of respect. However, some would say that leaving the details to the imagination is far more powerful. Either way, Boy A manages to engross its viewer and then create a gaping hole between protagonist and audience. The “hero” is suddenly cast down and his identity obliterated, despite being so gentle and disarming. The story highlights much bigger issues in the British legal system, and also showcases a violent disregard for authority and discipline within the youth culture.
Crowley’s Boy A is beautiful, haunting and portrays a dark side to humanity. The rehabilitation process has flaws, but the darkness displayed by Wilson is just as devastating under the public’s vengeful watch. This story is deeply moving and sad, but should inspire healthy debate in all that watch it. The teenage angst among the youth of the nation has accelerated and authority doesn’t have the answers to keep it in check.
The bottom line: Haunting.
