Compare that to Beautiful Boy, which would seem to have similar lachrymal aspirations. That selfless and ultimately futile quest is what gives Beautiful Boy its narrative momentum and its pathos. Carell certainly goes the distance; in one almost-funny scene, he decides to score some meth and try it himself, apparently to little effect. But for all the emotional heft in the performances – and Beautiful Boy will certainly speak to those who share its central issue – the film’s own sentiments seem oddly flattened by the end of two hours. Beautiful Boy had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, coincidentally alongside Ben Is Back, which stars Lucas Hedges and Julia Roberts in another tale of addicted child and distraught parent.

Source: National Post October 18, 2018 16:52 UTC