Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
FAMILY TATTERS
WITH CINEMAS STILL CLOSED DUE TO COVID-19, DAMON SMITH CHOOSES SOME MOVIES TO WATCH AT HOME, INCLUDING SHIA LABEOUF’S MESMERISING COMING-OF-AGE TALE, HONEY BOY
FILM star Otis (Lucas Hedges) crashes his car under the influence of alcohol and exchanges harsh words with police attending the scene. He avoids a prison sentence by agreeing to undergo a prolonged stint in rehab u nder the care of counsellor Dr Moreno (Laura San Giacomo).
She recognises symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and encourages Otis to seek answers in his past.
Otis is initially reluctant to open deep psychological wounds but he eventually reminisces about formative years as a child star (played by Noah Jupe) and the fractious relationship with father James (Shia LaBeouf ).
The old man, a former rodeo clown, verbally and physically abuses his boy when he isn’t chaperoning the lad to and from film sets.
By confronting the demons of those early years, Otis edges towards long-overdue healing.
Honey Boy is a mesmerising coming-ofage story, which marks an impressive narrative feature debut of music video director Alma Har’el.
She deftly navigates Otis’s emotional traumas, projected through the lens of actor and writer LaBeouf’s childhood memories.
His script spares the characters few blushes – and none of the blood and bruises – while LaBeouf’s portrayal of a single parent, reliant on his child to pay the bills, sears white hot into the memory.
Jupe and Hedges are well matched as two faces of the same damaged coin, who seem destined to inherit the sins of the father.
From the opening frames, we’re heavily invested in Otis’s recovery and survival, aware of the obstacles that lie ahead from the tabloid headlines of LaBeouf’s own turbulent past. ■ Available from March 30 on Amazon Video/BT TV Store/iTunes/Sky Store/ TalkTalk TV Store and other download and streaming services.