History Boys, The Review

"History Boys, The" reviews

Movie

History Boys, The

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2006-12-13 22:32:30

Rating

3.5/5

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

Thought-provoking and well-written, Alan Bennett's Tony-winning play about life, love, and education in 1980s Yorkshire jumps to the big screen in The History Boys.

Story

Mixing the boys-will-be-boys camaraderie of Dead Poets Society with the veddy British tang of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Goodbye, Mr. Chips, The History Boys follows eight working-class English grammar school students vying for competitive scholarships to Cambridge and Oxford in 1983. Challenged and mentored by two very different teachers--quixotic, larger-than-life knowledge-hound Hector (Richard Griffiths) and focused, competitive strategist Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore)--the class grapples with questions about everything from their sexuality to the causes of World War II. The film takes place over the course of the boys' final term, as they prepare for the crucial exam that will determine the direction their lives will take--and their teachers are forced to deal with personal truths that don't belong in the classroom.

Acting

The stars of The History Boys are exceptionally at home in their roles, and for good reason: The core cast members all starred in the hit stage version, first in London and then on Broadway. Some of the boys' parts are flashier than the others--Dominic Cooper and Samuel Barnett are clear stand-outs as brashly sexy smart-aleck Dakin and wry, lovelorn Posner, respectively--but all are integral members of the group. On the other side of the lectern, Griffiths (Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter movies) and Campbell Moore are both outstanding. Campbell Moore gradually reveals Irwin's underlying insecurity and vulnerability, while Griffiths' blustery Hector is simultaneously the best teacher you never had and the one you'd least want to put in charge of a roomful of eager young men. Their characters seem to be total opposites, but ultimately they find they have more in common than they suspected.

Direction

The movie was shot quickly during the six weeks between the play's London engagement and world tour, and it shows. Boom mikes are visible in several shots, and none of the filming is particularly artful. But The History Boys is much less about lighting and composition than it is about Bennett's sharp, insightful script. Some stage-to-film adaptations end up stilted and wordy, but director Nicholas Hytner and the cast do an excellent job of making even the movie's preachiest speeches seem organic. Sure, the boys can be pretty glib for 18-year-olds, but once you realize how well they've been educated, it doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility. Plus, their droll wit helps The History Boys avoid the trap of sentimentalism that so many other ''inspirational teachers'' stories fall victim to. Even Hector, with his penchant for Hollywood melodrama, wouldn't want that.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Movie

The History Boys

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2006-10-12 00:00:00

Provider

MyMovies

Review

Having cleaned up with just about every theatrical award going, acclaimed stage play "The History Boys" has made the transition to the big screen. But will Alan Bennett's beautifully constructed dialogue work outside of the live arena?

Set in a boy's grammar school in the North of England sometime in the mid-'80s, the film follows eight bright lads who are all trying to earn a place at either Oxford or Cambridge. Unfortunately for them that means extra classes to prepare for a taxing entrance exam, but in a bid to improve their chances - and the name of the school - the headmaster brings in a dynamic young teacher (Stephen Campbell Moore) to compliment the rather relaxed work of veteran tutor Hector (Richard Griffiths), which soon causes friction on both sides.

Having all worked together on stage in the UK and on Broadway, it should come as no surprise that the main cast all display a comfortable chemistry. The eight boys (too many to mention by name) are key as they riff off and tease one other. Their experiences have obviously formed a strong bond between them and, while Bennett's script may seem a touch too worldly for boys of their age, they all offer admirable turns. Campbell Moore too is enthusisatic as their provoactive new tutor, but it's Griffiths who really stands out as Hector's desire for his charges to suceed is jepodised by his wandering and lusty hands.

Some of the film's themes of teenage sexuality and its more mature tinkerings may prove a touch too challenging for the average multiplex fan, but for the more discerning cinemagoer "The History Boys" is a lesson well worth sitting through.

Movie

The History Boys

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2006-10-06 15:00:45

Provider

Review

Eight bright, witty working-class history students at a Yorkshire grammar school in the 1980s have been picked to pursue the academic Holy Grail of a place at Oxford or Cambridge University in this outstanding bitter-sweet comedy.

The Headmaster (Clive Merrison) is obsessed with joining the ranks of Britain's top schools, and employs a modern young teacher called Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore) to whip the boys into shape for their Oxbridge entrance exams by teaching them some intellectual flair.

Seduced though the boys are by Irwin's style-over-substance bag of exam-busting tricks, the lads are torn by their loyalty to the hugely eccentric, poetry-spouting English master Hector (award-winning film veteran Richard Griffiths) and their fact-filled history mistress Mrs Lintott (Frances de la Tour).

As the charming lads pursue sex, sport and education we get to know them intimately - especially Dakin (handsome newcomer Dominic Cooper) wwho wants to seduce anyone who crosses his path, while sensitive Jewish lad Posner (Samual Barnett), struggles to come to terms with his sexuality. The fascinating characterisation will keep you gripped, while the film questions the idea of historical truth and the very purpose of education.

Written by acclaimed Yorkshire-born author Alan Bennett, The History Boys uses the same cast as it did in the original award-winning stage play as well as its director, Nicholas Hytner. But although there's not many famous cast members this film is so earthy that any Hollywood star would have eclipsed from its innate realism.

Moments of comedy sit beside genuinely moving scenes, pathos abounds and the locations lovingly capture the details of early 1980s Sheffield in a similar way to the The Full Monty.

The History Boys puts other movies about education (Dead Poet's Society, Good Will Hunting) in the shade - and is an absolute must see.