THE BUTCHER BOY
Wow. I'm not even sure what to say or where to start with this movie. I never read the book although it has been sitting in my Amazon wishlist for a little while. Now I'm afraid if I read the book, it would only be more disturbing without the positive, colorful coat of sugarsweet gloss Neil Jordan adds to the film that makes Patrick McCabe's stories go down easier. (As he did also with Breakfast on Pluto.)
Both films had similarities. At least thats the idea that crossed my mind as we settled in about half way through The Butcher Boy. I noticed that the main character, Francie, like Patrick "Kitten" Braden from BOP, seemed in desperate need for love, acceptance and attention. Francie was also practically an orphan with his mom being a bit on the crazy side and his dad (Stephen Rea) an alcoholic. Neither of his parents were really there for him and as an escape or relief from that loneliness, Francie lived often in his own dreamworld. Sometimes it is like a dream like when Mother Mary talks to him and other times it would be more like a state of denial or something. Francie increasingly became harder for me to understand throughout this film, which is part of the reason why it was so disturbing.
To summarize the plot, Francie (Eamonn Owens) and Joe (Alan Boyle) live the usual playful, fantasy filled childhoods of normal boys. However, with a violent, alcoholic father ('Stephen Rea' ) and a manic depressive, suicidal mother the pressure on Francie to grow up are immense. When his mother eventually commits suicide and Joe goes off to boarding school, Francie sinks ever deeper into paranoia directed mainly against Mrs. Nugent (Fiona Shaw), a nasty neighbour, and fantasy where he has visions of the Virgin Mary ('Sinead O'Connor' ) . After his father dies Fancie's condition worsens, his behaviour becomes more bizarre and erratic culminating in the extremely bloody murder of Mrs. Nugent whom he holds responsible for all the wrongs visited upon him. The authorities arrest Francie and commit him to an asylum in an attempt to cure him.
Was this movie disturbing? Yeah. You can say that. I felt quite disturbed at the end of it. I think JP found this movie to be more disturbing than I did. However, I would not really categorize this movie with other movies I concidered disturbing such as Requiem for a Dream, American History X, Bully (or any other Larry Clark film for that matter). It didn't have that somber energy about it or even let you see anything disturbing coming. The movie always carried a peppy, humorous vibe which if you didnt expect it, it could throw you off and weird you out. Watching this crazy child run around, terrorizing ladies, yelling things, scaring people...the way it is narrated is actually funny. But the whole time you are like, Should I be laughing at this? This is crazy.
For the first part of this movie, I compared him to Kitten Braden and wanted to jump in the film and give him a hug. Maybe adopt him. It seemed all he needed was to be loved. If he found love, his craziness would be cured...so I thought. Then as the movie went along, I see this Francie kid just get crazier and crazier where you might even think he was dangerous. I stopped understanding him and was completely unable to predict what he was going to do or say next. He had serious problems and quite an attitude about Mrs. Nugent. Even though he was crazy, she really was a bitch so when he goes in to her house to destroy all her cakes, you dont feel too bad for her. I was even laughing a little but following the scene more, my smile pretty much froze on my face and became a smile of "Uh, what the fuck is going on?" . Francie went crazy destroying all her cakes and with the same level of enthusiasm and gusto, he is painting the word PIG all over the walls and pictures. In shock, I'm watching and wondering if maybe I missed the part where he was adopted by the Manson family while I took a bathroom break? And when Mrs. Nugent gets home, Holey Cheeses! This kid really is out of his fucking mind!
I did like this movie. Not quite War of the Buttons but was another great film by Neil Jordan and another weird, lost misfit story by Patrick McCabe. Even though there are similarities between the two stories by McCabe, I will say after watching the entire movie that Francie is NOTHING like Kitten Braden in the likes of character. I wanted to love Francie but this kid truly turned out to be a total monster while Kitten maintained her innocense and good nature throughout the entire story of Breakfast on Pluto.
Speaking of War of the Buttons, I do have to mention how much I loved seeing my Gregg Fitzgerald (Fergis!) pop up for a short time in this film as one of the "Bogmen". He was even in a boys orphanage thing (like where WOTB left off) and I was just cracking up when he again said "Shote youer Mothe!" (sigh) I want to adopt him. He's adorable and I wish he was in more films.
And I love Stephen Rea.
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