Bogus (1996)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The acting in this movie is really good.

In his graceful overgrown sheepdog sort of way Gerard Depardieu good - naturedly has this movie in his hip pocket.He grins wryly,shrugs in the Gallic manner and mugs his way happily through what could have been a syruppy saccharine part as Albert's imaginary friend come to life to help him deal with the death of his beloved circus performer mother. Farmed out to Whoopi Goldberg - a reluctant stepmother if there ever was one - Albert (young Master Osment) is a rebel without a pause until Bogus shows him the common ground he and Miss Goldberg can inhabit. I would normally walk a mile over broken glass in my bare feet to avoid movies about cute kids and their imaginary pals,but "Bogus" never quite takes itself seriously.Just when you fear it might turn into a blubfest there is a change of mood and we're off to the races,as it were,with Gerard and Whoopi in the saddle. The soundtrack is marvellous,Depardieu and La Goldberg have a lot of fun with some energetic dance routines and the movie is an all-round happy experience.A wonderful alternative to watching the FTSE and Dow Jones drop to an all - time low whilst waiting in vain for the first banker to jump out of a window.

Let's talk child actors. There have been many over the last century, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple are possibly the best known and most successful. Others like McCauley Culkin were in the right place at the right time and couldn't make the transition to adult movies. I put Haley Joel Osment right up near the top of the tree. He went on to be brilliant in Sixth sense & extremely good in A.I. He is also the best thing about this movie. He has a wonderful ability to act with his eyes, this makes his performances so much more credible. This movie has some humorous moments, but is actually rather sad & full of people searching but not finding their goal. Whoopi Goldberg didn't really add a dimension to performances we've seen dozens of times from her and Gerard Depardieu was OK but unspectacular. There's definitely a message in this movie and the whole topic of imaginary friends is a fascinating topic to explore. I'm not sure that this movie managed to hit the mark, mainly due to the disruptive and slightly confusing on occasions use of flashbacks & fantasy.

Gerald Depardieu at his most average is better than many other actors at their very best. Well this isn't necessarily true. However as an actor, Depardieu has attempted everything, not all of them good but what he always manages to convey on the screen is a presence that is strong and full of conviction, no matter what the circumstances, as a viewer this is hard to fault. In the movie Bogus we see one of these performances. What we should also mention is fine support from Whoopi Goldberg and a sublime Haley Joel Osment.Bogus is an interesting, well acted and well crafted, fantasy piece, it is a story about the mind of a child and how this can cross over into a real/adult world.This is a movie that could have easily missed it's intended mark with lesser actors, and a less experienced director. But through imagination, depth of characters and a special bond between the three actors, this movie succeeds.

Child actors are supposed to make us feel happy while we're watching a film but just about all of Haley Joel Osment's films have tragic or disturbing overtones and elements and this 1996 Warner Brothers release that tries (unsuccessfully) to be a pleasant comedy is one of them. Osment makes his film debut in this tale about a little boy (Osment) whose mother (Nancy Travis) dies. He is then sent to live with his grumpy foster aunt (Whoopi Goldberg). In an effort to ease the pain, Osment frequently has contact with his imaginary friend, Bogus (Gerard Depardieu). It's a mystery how and even why Goldberg and Depardieu agreed to portray such wooden roles. All of the film's attempts at being even remotely pleasant fail and the film often winds up being more sad than funny leading to some misleading advertising.