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First, the Recap:
Life stacks up against you, leaving a sense of either abject desperation or simply utter hopelessness. When our backs are to the wall, the lengths we might stoop to in order to regain any return to balance might be extreme if we don’t let our better angels be the guide in the actions taken. This is made harder still when the situations perpetrating it all are plaguing our minds because we just cannot release their hold on us. A young man named Danny (Ben Whishaw) is in such a conundrum, facing a severe life crisis that now has him not only being haunted by people from his past, but a possible reality he won’t accept. Driven by the pestering of his dear mum Jackie (Marion Bailey), will Danny confront what he must in order to see a freedom he’s deeply longing for?
Next, my Mind:
Some films are obvious (mostly not in any BAD way, mind you) in their intent while others become a tad more enigmatic when attempting to ascertain precisely what is occurring in the narrative presented, and this critic must be transparent that the latter was truer for me than the former when viewing this Oscar qualifying 16-minute short film from writer/director/producer Tom Stuart, producers Anna Elettra Pizzi De Gaetano, Kay Loxley, and Max Marlow, executive producers Alex Gonzalez, Chris Quested, and Caroline Steinbeis, plus associate producer Thomas Darby-Evans. It’s the gift that indie film continues to be prolific at providing in its ongoing bid to be so much more story and character-driven in focus rather than relying heavily, or at least TOO much, on what’s been done before, instead choosing to try and bring a fresh and eccentrically unique approach to the screen. Here, this was assuredly acheived.
The narrative illustrates the journey of a decidedly erratic young man who’s apparently at the end of his proverbial rope, with everything being thrown into chaos and therefore making decisions that really aren’t for his betterment, but rather escape. Pushed beyond limits by his equally quirky mother, the encounters he finds himself experiencing may not be what they appear, even as his own past tries to play a little game of catch up, a reminder of what he really would rather, it seems, forget yet cannot. If anything, we’re being treated to the initial deconstruction of a person’s mental state of being when under immense stress, pressure, loss, grief, and existing in total denial while likewise witnessing, even if to outlandishly comical yet dramatically purposeful extremes here, the coping mechanisms we employ in a bid to regain sanity.
However, even with all the stormy seas being navigated in the context of this portrait of pessimistic forlornness, there comes a point where suddenly an awakening arises which completely turns the events around in the film’s finale, adding an unexpected degree of, for lack of a better term, liberation, putting quite an emotionally-charged and impactful ending to what we’ve seen up to that point and emphasizing what I ultimately feel was the core principals being explored throughout the effort–accepting reality and moving on, leaving the pain behind but not the cherished memories, and learning to equally treasure what we still have even when what comes next for us may not be certain or even guaranteed. This is human nature and all the challenges it musters at times, and at least for this critic, the film is so adeptly brilliant in HOW it chooses to portray this adventure of dysfunction, disillusionment, family dynamics, stirring upheaval, and letting go.
That’s my particular interpretation of it all anyway, and frankly, I could be completely off here. I just understand the magnitude of both hilarity and heartbreak (plus everything in between) is deftly executed. This also is greatly aided by the cast, as with any superb character-centric indie film project, and it is anchored first and foremost by the excellence that is Winshaw in his role as Danny, a man tormented by both what lies ahead and what’s already come to pass as his current existence spins out of control. Hounded by other voices of “reason” that he makes all efforts to avoid or pay no heed to, his past also comes calling as well, depleting his will to press on yet at the same time pushing him TO at least aim to escape from it all and find peace. The sheer volatility of Danny’s inward struggles and outward choices is legion, and how Winshaw so beautifully embodies this wins you over to the character regardless of how “insane” the circumstances are.
It’s a performance to remember without question and a tribute to actors who can so astutely make you BELIEVE what their character is going through with being melodramatic (other than intentionally so), with you totally sympathizing with Danny’s plight as events unfold. Bailey is also a seriously talented force to be reckoned with through her role as Danny’s mother Jackie, whose conspicuously rebellious attitude seems to be the primary source of Danny’s ongoing frazzled state of being, as she is trying to BE a mother to him yet seems to be pointing him in directions that aren’t always so healthy for him to engage in. Even as she keeps on him, and his patience is beyond wearing thin with her, Jackie still ends up having that deep parental bond with her son that is revealed in a wonderfully crafted, albeit still off-center, manner which illustrates that underneath all the chaos is still a mother’s heart of love and concern for her son.
While this doesn’t appear evident as the film starts, how this is built up is effective and Bailey’s portrayal of the character’s peculiarities and avant-garde approach towards her son is fantastically presented through her performance. Supporting turns are present via Dino Fetscher as Leon, a local roadside store owner who gets his fair share of strange wonder when encountering Danny during his shift, Paul Chahidi as a doctor from Danny’s past, Mark Monero as a funeral director, Tommy Belshaw and Ephraim Sampson as pallbearers, Bettrys Jones as a surgeon, and Jocelyn Jee Esien as a nurse, all six of whom represent people Danny doesn’t want anything to do with and tries anything to avoid having to encounter again. So, in total, “Good Boy” is an unconventional exhibition of what burdens still cling to us, what we then try to avoid or refuse to bear, hanging on to the tumult created until it threatens to overwhelm all we are, then acknowledging the hurricane, weathering it, and embracing what is, then and now, while also finally looking down that unknown road before us and perhaps finally grasping what we’ve needed to all along–HOPE.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
This is an Oscar-winning short-film! Superb acting, and the synergy between drama and comedy is remarkable