Real story About A Boy feels

A dramedy set in London starring Hugh Grant -- sounds like just the formula to keep most male viewers at a comfortable distance from any theater showing the film, especially given the fact that the vast majority of American movie-going men are flocking to the cinema this weekend for one reason alone (do I really need to name names?). What's ironic is that About A Boy is more of a movie for males (preferably over the age of 21) than any CGI-laden, fantasy diversion could probably ever hope to be. It's smart, amusing, moving and incredibly relevant.

Based on the novel by British author Nick Hornby, a writer seemingly obsessed with exploring the contemporary, middle class (or in this case affluent) male psyche, and directed with style and depth by Chris and Paul Weitz (American Pie), About A Boy follows the exploits of 38-year-old Will Freeman (Grant). Will has led a pampered life, which thus far has been completely devoid of meaning (a fact he's vaguely proud of). He's never worked a day in his life (living off the royalty checks from a hit Christmas song his father wrote) and has been in a series of short, substance-less relationships. After being dumped (although he welcomes it) by a single mother, Will recognizes that meeting single women with children is a great angle to pursue, as even a womanizer like him compares favorably to the previous men these women have been with. Thanks to this realization, Will meets a woman named Suzie (Victoria Smurfit), and through her a 12-year-old boy named Marcus, who is the son of a friend of Suzie's.

Marcus, who doesn't have a single pal and whose mother (the always good Toni Collette) suffers from depression, begins to hang around with Will, even though the older man hasn't invited him to do so. As a child, Marcus carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, while as a nearing 40-year-old adult, Will has never had a problem to overcome that could build such character. An awkward, difficult friendship begins that exposes certain truths to them both.

About A Boy feels like it could be a distant cousin of Doug Liman and Jon Favreau's Swingers. Although the latter film wears its heart less on its sleeve, both movies examine the confused psychology of ultra- modern, urban men, who (sometimes desperately) search for meaning in their lives. Each film also uses comic means to help reach their goals, but really standout because of the dramatic layers they add. About A Boy, especially in its first half, is able to balance insightful humor with tragedy (occasionally in the same scene) and keeps you involved the whole way through.

Hugh Grant has never been better. His protagonist is alternately likeable and despicable, but always identifiable. Grant plays Will with an acerbic, sarcastic wit and eventually reveals this attitude to be partly a defense mechanism. Young Nicholas Hoult also makes a strong impression as the endearing, yet understandably flawed Marcus. As screenwriters, the Weitz brothers display a keen grasp of how to translate Hornby's work for American audiences' tastes, but not to the regrettable state that robbed the author's previous book, High Fidelity, of its personality when it hit the big screen.

Will's character, and the film, suffer from his recycling of the same humor. There's only so many times one can say "bugger off" before the words lose their appeal. Also, when the light finally dawns on a few of the characters regarding their shortcomings, it comes off as a bit sudden and assumed. But the Weitz brothers mostly drive the story away from sappiness, even when it could easily take that turn; in fact, they laugh at (not with) moments that might otherwise be constructed as "feel good."

About A Boy is a thoughtful and entertaining film that's range of appeal should cast a wider net than advertised. It's an adult movie that isn't afraid to laugh or cry, and is often comfortable doing both.

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