12/17/20 - Funny Boy (2020) - 5+/10
There are moments, shots and hints of a great film here, but it falls short of those lofty possibilities and settles into averageness. It’s plot and timeline are at once too thin and overstuffed simultaneously, as it meanders and drifts. It wants to blend internal struggles and societal oppressions with greater historical conflicts and devastating civil war; a masterful chorus is needed but a ragged but adept bar karaoke performance is what we get. It is well intentioned and sometimes splendid in design and execution, but it can’t sustain in either concept or fruition.
The Sinhalese &Tamil, the language, culture, and the conflict was fascinating. Such a bloody and horrific conflict in Sri Lanka was completely unknown to me. Important to the story, but it serves as the backdrop for events only.
The elements of his early childhood and the transformative juxtaposition with his older self, literally replacing his young actor version, was clever and a highlight. This was interesting and the best part of the film. Too bad it couldn’t have lasted longer or been a more insightful view of life throughout.
In the end, it just tries for too much and loses its way. The momentum is stagnant and the explosive story elements wreak havoc on the pacing. It just gets weaker as it unfolds, just when the drama should be getting more intense. An interesting effort that does provide seeds of future films to come.
