Buddy Boy (2000)

One of my all time favorites.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I know there are not many votes on this film but if there were it certainly would have a higher rating then a 6.0. The acting is excellent all the way around, the numerous plot twists and turns keep the viewer enthralled from beginning to end, and it leaves one with many questions to ponder afterward.As Francis' (Aidan Gillen) emotions begin to unravel it will blow your mind into the unavailing that comes about in the end. If you are a simple minded individual that enjoy movies for the loud explosions and eye candy this one may not be for you. This is in a class of maybe about a dozen movies that I couldn't get out of my head for days after viewing (Requiem for a Dream, Mysterious Skin, There Will Be Blood, American History X, The Machinist, The Wrestler, The Shawshank Redemption, Road to Perdition, The Green Mile, The Prestige, Unbreakable, Revolutionary Road, Amores Perros, Happiness) Also Emmanuelle Sieigner may have the sexiest voice/accent that I have ever heard. She's a real babe in this one.Highly Recommended: 9.5/10

I'd originally watched BUDDY BOY about three years ago but never reviewed it for some reason. I remembered how I felt about it but wanted to revisit again before I made any comments in on it.The storyline involves around Francis-a 'nice' but a bit slow and socially-retarded individual who has no life other than working at a photo-development shop and taking care of his alcoholic, piece of sh!t stepmother. A chance encounter with a sexy neighbor (who Francis has been spying on) works out in his favor when said neighbor seems to recognize his decent qualities despite his awkwardness-and goes so far as to bone the poor sap. They begin a 'relationship' of sorts-but as Francis becomes more obsessed with sexy-neighbor and his paranoia gets the best of him-things start spiraling downward rapidly...Overall-BUDDY BOY is a decent film that touches on subjects concerning obsession, paranoia, mental break-down, reality vs. fantasy, etc...in other words-all things that make for a laugh-a-minute joyride. But seriously- there are some heady subjects that are touched on and handled well. I guess my only gripes are that the film feels like a hundred other films that I've seen that deal with the same basic subject-matter. What BUDDY BOY is at it's heart-is basically REAR WINDOW with elements of every other paranoia-themed film out there. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing-as this one stands up well on it's own-I just don't feel that I'm seeing anything new or original. Also- although the pace is decent in terms of trying to build suspense and keep the viewer guessing-it still felt a little over-long to me. I think a bit of trimming in the editing room could have made it a bit more streamlined. The semi-ambiguous but predictable ending felt rehashed as well. If it sounds like I'm bagging on this one-I'm really not. It's well- acted, well-shot, and a solid film overall...I just didn't leave the film feeling like I saw anything fresh or extremely noteworthy...7/10

Buddy Boy is strange film to get a hold of. It has very stylised production design and cinematography, and is quite slow to start but once it gets going, it becomes a very unique film. Francis is the main character. An introverted guy with a stutter who goes to a catholic church, works in a photo developers and lives with an old woman called Sal. Towards the beginning of the film, it builds up our information about the character using cinematic technique, rather than dialogue. The main crux of the film is formed when he meets a woman, Gloria and gets involved in a relationship with her. The film continues with a subplot about a missing child and a man who came in to fix a leaky pipe that keeps coming back and hanging out with Sal. The relationship between Francis and Gloria being the main plot, it takes a darker twist and we get lots of religious imagery, talk of God, hypocrisy and vegans. This is comes together to make quite an intriguing film, that whilst it doesn't quite seem to all gel together, is a worthy effort, and results in a better than average film.

Warning, this has a few spoilers to do with the plot.It was about eleven o'clock at night, and me and my parents were watching T.V, when Buddy Boy came on. I was trying to evade being sent to bed, so feigned interest for the rather boring first ten to fifteen minutes, showing the routine of the main characters life. However, it begins to get rather interesting after that, it's a film where you sit on the edge of your seat, riveted watching the screen, just waiting for Frances to a.Kill someone, b.Go mad, or c.Shout a lot. Aidan Gillen is incredibly good as the shy, reclusive Frances. There are a few plot holes in the story, like how many parties Frances's girlfriend appears to have. The ending to this film is a classic, and the whole movie has a dark, spooky atmosphere, and certainly leaves you with a lot to think about. I still don't understand all that business with that little girl he sees in the photograph. What's all that about?