Shia LeBeouf has been in the public sphere for quite some time. Like many child actors, he struggled with substance abuse growing up in the industry but continued to work and perform at a high level for many years. Personal troubles followed him around for a long time and have been well-documented in the media but some time in rehab helped provide some perspective and ultimately led to a screenplay. Honey Boy is an elegant and energetic story of pain and catharsis.
2019 marks something of a rebirth for LeBeouf who rode the momentum of The Peanut Butter Falcon into this film, which he wrote and stars in. The story is based on his own life although the advertising isn’t pushing that narrative. In it, he plays his abusive and alcoholic father and you’d be blind not to see the raw surge of emotion pouring out of him. This portrayal serves as a staunch reminder of just how good the 33-year-old actor can be when on top of his game. I’m pretty sure he also popped up in a few scenes as an uncredited production assistant or stunt coordinator, which kind of lends itself to the introspective dreaminess of the film. The script, aimed primarily at himself and his dad, doesn’t pull any punches. It’s brimming with incredibly raw emotion and vulnerability but there’s also an irresistibly poetic symbiosis in the narrative structure. Ouroboros (the mythical snake eating its own tail) immediately came to mind as a powerful symbol of renewal in regards to this story. It’s a little tough to explain but, when you see it, there’s an honesty here that’s not easy to find. LeBeouf needs to be seriously considered for Best Original Screenplay and as darkhorse for Best Actor.
To direct the story of his life, LeBeouf turned to Alma Har’el who he’d collaborated with on LoveTrue, a documentary about the nature of love. She never went to film school and her style exudes intense and relentless energy that beautifully captures the swings associated with an abusive but loving parent. There was no hiding how volatile the relationship was but due, to experiences with her own alcoholic father, she balanced it with the proper emotional context. After all, this wasn’t a story about how much the character hates his dad, it’s about self-discovery, personal responsibility, reconciliation, and atonement. This is her first scripted feature film but she brought such incredible artistry and passion to the project, don’t be surprised to see her name a lot moving forward.
Lucas Hedges took on the role of adult Otis (really Shia) and this was no cakewalk for him either. It’s an incredibly emotional role that required many high-stress moments. The majority of his part in the film revolves around court-mandated rehab and the counseling sessions associated with treatment. It certainly isn’t a comfortable place to be but those scenes lay the groundwork for the entire journey and Hedges was all in, showing some of the stuff that got him an Oscar nomination for his role in Manchester by the Sea.
Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) has had a good couple of months, first playing Ken Miles’ son in Ford v Ferrari at the beginning of November and now as 12-year-old Otis who’s at the mercy of his abusive father despite his burgeoning stardom. This was a very mature role for a kid, tackling some heavy subject matter, but he handled himself well. By being part of this project and having to share these intense scenes with LeBeouf, he rose to the occasion and provided a much-needed moral compass that helped extract the best out of his on-screen dad. Expect to see a lot of this kid moving forward.
The cinematography by Natasha Braier punctuated the gravity of this story with a nice blend of artistic low-light and intense handheld shots. It had to be intimate so there are a lot of close-ups that pull the audience in, using a variety of unconventional angles. The backlighting and night shots were very colorful as well, which lent itself to the surreal nature of the project. Dominic Perriere and Monica Salazaar did a great job editing things together in post-production to magnify the quality of the camerawork and give the film a certain tempo. I feel it should be noted that this movie has an excellent soundtrack as well, so shout out to music supervisor Andrew Kahn, many modern movies have forgotten the impact a good soundtrack can have.
This was definitely my kind of film. Raw, energetic, psychological and emotionally honest. Built on the back of a great script and invested performances. The production found that sweet spot between too much and not enough which means everyone and everything was moving in the same direction. I’ve seen quite a few movies this year and this is right up there near the top.
Recommendation: See it for the performances, the impeccable filmmaking style, and to get a little context for the subject at the center of it.