The Boys (1998)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Rowan Woods

Writers:

Gordon Graham (play)
Stephen Sewell (writer)

Release Date:

7 May 1998 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Brett Sprague is a violent and psychopathic man, who is released on parole after serving a sentence for assault...

Plot Keywords:

Australia | Independent Film | Based On Play

Awards:

10 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

David Wenham	...	Brett Sprague
Toni Collette	...	Michelle
Lynette Curran	...	Sandra Sprague
John Polson	...	Glenn Sprague
Anthony Hayes	...	Stevie Sprague
Jeanette Cronin	...	Jackie
Anna Lise Phillips	...	Nola (as Anna Lise)
Pete Smith	...	George (Abo)
Sal Sharah	...	Nick
Lawrence Woodward	...	Jailer
Peter Hehir	...	Graham Newman
Andrew Heys	...	Sparrow
Teo Gebert	...	Policeman
Anthony Kierann	...	Policeman
Stephen Leeder	...	Commissioner

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Australia:MA | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Arenafilm

Goofs:

Continuity: Around 30 minutes in, Stevie pulls a cigarette from a packet and sticks it in his mouth twice within a matter of seconds.

Movie Connections:

References Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Even psychopaths can be happy in their work

Some years ago in the western suburbs of Sydney there was a particularly nasty rape and killing of a young nurse on her way home from work carried out by two brothers and their friend. The incident became known as the Anita Cobby case and although the killers were caught and convicted, its reverberations still continue in the NSW criminal justice system. This film, from Gordon Graham's play, is not a recounting of the Cobby case, but attempts to answer the question: what sort of people could have perpetrated such a crime? The answer given here, in a coldly clinical examination, is a domineering psychopath and his two compliant brothers brought up in a family where the women are treated as mere conveniences.

David Wenham, more usually associated with pleasant off-beat characters like Diver Dan in the TV series "Sea Change", plays the evil Brett, who has just done time for assault, and is back home manipulating his family and girlfriend. Despite the fact he spends most of his time sitting around drinking beer, everyone is afraid of him. He has the happy knack of being able to inspire fear just by looking at someone and lowering his voice. It is a remarkably powerful performance. Toni Collette as Brett's girlfriend Michelle is able to give us some insight into why an apparently sane (if insecure) woman would want Brett - it's the buzz of his badness that attracts.

Being derived from a play, there is drama here, but because the approach is also rather clinical, it does feel a bit like looking at cockroaches through a magnifying lens. It's hard to feel much empathy with Brett - whatever made him what he is, he's pretty nasty and permanent incarceration seems to be the best option. If there is any chance of redemption it is not evident here. The other brothers Glen and Stevie are not so bad (though Stevie has a violent streak), but easily led, or bullied. In other circumstances they would not have committed such a crime. So in the end it is down to Brett and we don't even get a hint as to why he is as he is. He does tell us "we are all gods" by which he means we are all responsible for what we do. In his case he's happy to be a murdering psychopath. So look out.