The Boys in the Band | Film Review

 Hey Guys x

I remember really wanting to see this play when it was on Broadway in 2018, because I'm a huge fan of some of the actors in it, so I'm really glad that they made it into a film!

In 1968, a group of gay men are having a party when they are interrupted by an unexpected visitor.

I really liked this movie.

Because it was originally a play, it's really dialogue-heavy, but the dialogue is written so well that you don't even notice how much of it there is. 

Speaking of the dialogue, it is so fast-paced and familiar. You really believe that these people are friends, and that what they're saying is true. Part of this is due to the fact that all of these characters are so three-dimensional and fleshed out. They could all stand on their own without the backdrop of this story.

But as well as being fleshed out, the characters feel really real, even the one or two who are over-the-top. You always feel like this is a real group of people.  

For me, the most important character in this film is Alan (Brian Hutchison). Not only is the character interesting in a different way from all the others, but I feel that it was really necessary to be able to see this group from the point of view of an outsider. 

Aside from Alan, the other characters in the film are Michael (Jim Parsons), Harold (Zachary Quinto), Donald (Matt Bomer), Larry (Andrew Rannells), 'Cowboy' (Charlie Carver), Emory (Robin de Jesús), Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington) and Hank (Tuc Watkins). Both the characters and actors have such a great chemistry that, at times, it is hard to tell whether an argument is serious or a joke. This is largely down to the fact that all of the actors in the film are amazing, and completely perfect for their roles.

The more we find out about these characters, the more powerful the film gets - there are points where there's so much tension that you can't even tell where it's coming from.

It's amazing to me how much character development can take place in one evening - so many of these characters change in fundamental ways, whether that be them within themselves, or the audience's perception of them.

Overall, this is a really interesting, character-driven film that really deserves a first, and second, watch.

7.5/10

Lou