Saw 'Sweet Tea' Timothée Chalamet's 'Beautiful Boy' and Lucas Hedges' 'Ben, Back' on the same day is back), the result is not difficult to find: the two are basically the same theme! Both films focus on young people with serious drug addiction, showing the pain and struggle that drugs bring to them and their families, but with different narrative methods and different actors. It also indicates that drug treatment movies may become popular this year's awards season.
The male protagonists in the two films are all around 18 to 20 years old. They all come from divorced families, and because of drug addiction, they constantly deceive their parents and run away from home. Their trust began to deny them entry. The two films also show the tortuous process of detoxification, which repeatedly exhausted the family's energy and love, and also made these young people lose their minds and become a cancer full of lies.
The most similar thing between the two films is that they both show the process of two drug addicts' parents from unconditionally supporting them, trying to help them detox, gradually becoming frustrated and giving up, which is heartbreaking to see. But the lines and style of "Ben, Is Back" are more lighthearted and fun.
Steve Carell and Julia Roberts play their tortured and haggard parents in these two films, and their acting skills are very noteworthy, even surpassing the two young stars. Because the story is from the parents' point of view, their hearts are burning, and their frustrations are all empathetic to the audience.
Since it is called Pretty Boy, natural actors must be beautiful, and Sweet Tea is a very suitable candidate. And Lucas joined "Ben, Come Back" because his father forced him because the director was his father. But the two young actors are both hot potential stars in Hollywood, and their performances are also very bright. It seems that they are going to face off at the Oscars.
Interestingly, Timothy Chalamet and Lucas Hedges both starred in Lady Bird last year and both played the heroine's high school ex-boyfriend!
From these two movies, it is not difficult to see that it is really possible to fail in defeating drugs by relying on love and affection alone. These addicts need their own efforts, but they can never be without the love and support of their families. At the same time, both films also raised the question: Are parents obliged to accept these addicts with open arms all the time?
The difference is that the narrative style of "Ben, Is Back" is very special. The story unfolds in two days, but through other people's descriptions, everyone gradually knows that Ben has done wrong things in the past, unlike "Pretty Boy". ” is interspersed with memories and reality to form a contrast. Both ways can show the damage and ill effects of drug use on the family, but I personally find the narrative way in which "Ben, Is Back" constantly exposes the past is more interesting and full of suspense. A series of unexpected things happened in the one night of the episode on the grounds of looking for a dog, and the plot setting is more attractive to watch.
Both are optimistic about being shortlisted for performance awards. I hope such movies can make more young people: cherish life and stay away from drugs.
(Toronto movie viewing)
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