Will is a self-centered rich bachelor who enjoys the fine art of meeting women and basically tends to himself. Marcus (Nicholas Hault) is a young boy who lives with his hippie Mother and is bullied non-stop at school. In a chance meeting, Will and Marcus meet, and after Marcus’ mother attempts suicide, Marcus begins clinging to Will, asking for his advice and going to his house. Will, basically frustrated, begins to take a liking to the kid, and begins wondering if there is more to life than watching television and trying to get laid. This movie garnered rave reviews, so when that occurs, I just have to see what I’m missing for myself.
What I received was not only a surprise but a treat that would change the way I think about comedies. First off, Hugh Grant has been thought of as the modern Cary Grant, an actor who is very versatile, that can act in both drama and comedy. That’s very rare nowadays that an actor can translate his skills in both genres, and when an actor can achieve that, it’s the makings of a legend. Hugh Grant’s performance in this movie is unforgettable as he is able to pull off this comedic and very witty character that you can’t help but love despite his despicable attempts at meeting vulnerable women.
He’s basically without much of a morality throughout the movie, and as he becomes accustomed to Marcus he slowly regains his ability to empathize with others. The movie has a cast of supporting characters like Toni Collette who has great chemistry as the nutty hippie mother who is basically unhappy and is ruining Marcus’ life, even though she has only the best of intentions at heart. Plus, there’s a good performance by the radiant Rachel Weisz who lights up the entire screen in the little role she has in this. Nicholas Hault who plays Marcus is also very noticeable as the inept shut-in who tends to try and please his mother, he is great in this and his character is very relatable.
The dialogue is probably the best part of all, as we get non-stop witty remarks and excellent dialogue. My favorite were the hilarious narratives of the two main characters Will and Marcus as we get to know what they’re thinking as they experience the same situations with obviously different thoughts. I was so surprised, because I haven’t seen funny comedy in years after Hollywood gives us pieces of trash like “Road Trip” and “Freddy Got Fingered”. This had me in tears and I suggest everybody pick this one up. All in all, a nice breath of comedic fresh air as we get a witty, sweet, and hilarious British comedy with excellent performances from the versatile Hugh Grant and many others. It seems the British are always one step ahead of us, eh?