Boy A follows the new life of Jack Burridge, known in the press as ‘Boy A’ and formerly Eric Wilson, one of two boys who killed a female classmate when they were ten or eleven. Jack, now in his 20s, has been parolled, and with the help of his mentor/parole officer, Terry, he begins to establish a new and uncertain life.
Whether or not Boy A is based on the James Bulger murder is debatable, although I am more inclined to think it was inspired by, rather than based on, that 1993 case. Regardless, this film shocked, saddened and stuck with me for several days, thanks to the heartbreaking performance of Andrew Garfield.
The film raises some important questions about the nature of crime and its subsequent punishment. Can people be thoroughly rehabilitated? What happens to children who are tried as adults? Do we ever recover from the things we do against our fellow man? In the end, what are we asking of our justice system? Is there such a thing as impartiality? Is a clean slate actually possible?
The aesthetics of Boy A are minimalist with desaturated colours, blindingly white lighting and non-descript props and locations. The effect is beyond numbing; you can almost feel hope fading for Jack, who has nowhere to hide in this combination. The audio is similarly minimalist; there is almost no non-diagetic music, and the ambient sound is similarly muted and softened—even something which could be as jarring as a slammed door barely registers. This sensory deprivation puts you in an equal position to Jack, and helps (as if Garfield’s quiet anguish weren’t enough) to create compassion for a character—a person—everyone would immediately think of as a monster.
But it is Andrew Garfield who makes this film. His Jack is sad and sensitive, seeking that fresh start denied to most of us. It’s a delicately intricate performance, both transparent and heavily veiled; you know there’s wizardry happening, but he makes the result look effortless.
Has anyone else seen this gem?
