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Australia 1998
Directed by
Rowan Wood
86 minutes
Rated MA

Reviewed by
Bernard Hemingway
4.5 stars

The Boys

The Boys is a compellingly graphic fact-based account of the wasted and wasteful lives of white trash living in Sydney's Western suburbs, to whom brutality and abuse is second nature.

Based on Gordon Graham's controversial play, which has been brilliantly reworked by screenwriter, Stephen Sewell, this will not be for everyone but is unquestionably one of Australia's finest films. Intelligently-directed by Wood, working on his first feature with long-time collaborator, editor Nick Meyers, with excellent performances all round (David Wenham is outstanding in the lead role) and an excellent creative team. The film won a swag of AFI awards and should have won Best Picture but was probably considered too abrasive for popular taste.

DVD Extras: Whilst the film alone justifies the cost, there is an excellent package of extras including an informative documentary featuring the key creative personnel discussing their work on the film, a commentary by Rowan Woods and one of his short films, original soundtrack music from The Necks, montages of images form the original stage play (some of the cast of which also appear in the film).

 

 

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