Films to see

About a Boy is a nice book adaptation. You might be a bit surprised by it if you've read the book, but it is a very good film nonetheless.

This film is keeping extremely close to the first part of the book and then practically skips the other half. This means that certain levels of the story are missing. However, there is a reason for this: the film is set in a different decade from the book. There is a lot of references to pop culture in the book, and if the same pop culture references were kept in the film, it would probably feel forced or at least not close enough to the viewer. Of course, this means that the message isn't the same, but the ultimate message has been kept more or less intact. Also, by skipping a large chunk of the story, the film has more space to fully concentrate on the storyline that remains. Overall, the whole thing works.

The film uses some interesting devices to convey a similar feel as the book but it doesn't quite go far enough. The book has two equal protagonists with the storyline switching between the two, while the film is only truly concentrating on one of them. It was probably a choice that needed to be made to make sure the film is easy to follow and enjoyable, which it most definitely is. Among other things, the film has a very pleasing original soundtrack.

To conclude, About a Boy is a lovely film suitable for viewers young and old, and it makes a rather successful attempt at adapting a book with a very complex storyline.