An aimless playboy and a dorky middle-schooler become friends through serendipity in About a Boy, based on the book by Nick Hornby and directed by Chris and Paul Weitz of American Pie fame. Hugh Grant plays the playboy, coasting on royalties from a famous song his father wrote. Nicholas Hoult, who would later grow up to later star in X-Men: First Class and Warm Bodies, plays the kid. I have a soft spot for surrogate father/son relationships in movies (and I don’t think I’m alone), but Grant and Hoult do a commendable job playing the parts believably and steering clear of cheese. The film manages to incorporate some real drama into the mix, especially regarding Hoult’s suicidal mother (Toni Collette), without getting too weighed down.
It takes a while for Sam Raimi’s Wizard of Oz prequel to pull its shit together and make you care a little about what’s happening, but the final act’s (digital) pyrotechnics and displays of combative sorcery help pull the movie just barely into the safe zone. The casting leaves something to be desired. James Franco, whom I normally like, is surprisingly bland in a role where he desperately needs to carry the film. He gets better as the film goes, finally reaching his stride as Oz the Great and Powerful makes his thundering debut to the citizens of the Emerald City.
