Based on Jonathan Trigell's novel, this dramatically charged sophomore film from British director John Crowley ("Intermission") follows the erratic trajectory of "Boy A," (Andrew Garfield) after his release from a juvenile incarceration facility for the murder of a child.
Under the protection of his parole officer (Peter Mullan), Boy A is given a new identity as Jack Burridge and moved to Manchester where he's placed into a job and strikes up a romance with the company's receptionist Michelle (Katie Lyons).
In spite of all attempts to keep his troubled past secret from co-workers, Jack is unable to keep history at bay.
Well-acted, atmospheric, and gripping, "Boy-A" nevertheless negates much of its dramatic force with an ending that woefully attempts to shoehorn novelistic precedent into cinematic form.
It almost works.
Not Rated. 100 mins.
