Worried About the Boy

The costumes and setting of this drama looked amazing and I could not fault the lead performances, but it was so SLOW. I lasted one hour and the action could have been taken care of in half the time. And sex and drugs and rock and roll are never as interesting to watch as they are to participate in. Boy George's pre-fame antics did not make for interesting viewing.

I was never a fan of Boy George but I always thought that he seemed a lovely, intelligent person and thankfully that view has not changed as a result of this drama, but not enough happened to keep my attention. And I don't remember seeing Mark Gatiss at all, unless he was in some effective 'League of Gentlemen' disguise. Did he appear in the first hour that I watched?

Worried About The Boy (2010) -

This film had a cracking soundtrack/backing track and it wasn't even saturated with the songs of Culture Club, which in many ways was a shame, but in other ways it showed the music that had been part of Boy George's (Douglas Booth) life until that point.

Because of it's lower "Made For TV" budget it was far more gritty than the likes of 'Rocketman' (2019) and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018), with its concentration more on George and his origins specifically and less about the band or his rise through celebrity.

Personally I wanted to learn a lot more about the years in between 1981 and 1986 and the years that followed, so perhaps it's time for a follow up

I also felt that there should have been more sex and nudity, especially based on the rumours of George's sex life and because Douglas Booth is a handsome guy. I thought that he did a good job in the lead role.

This was also the first time I've seen Freddie Fox play someone other than Freddie Fox and he did it really well too in his role of Marilyn.

And it was interesting to see Richard Madden as yet another gay boyfriend type in the role of Kirk Brandon (Who in real life tried to sue George for his claims that they had a relationship and lost). Maybe Rich will play my husband one day?

I really enjoyed this tale, despite its limited time frame and I'm not joking about a sequel being due. The story of (Boy) George O'Dowd only got more interesting after the events depicted here, certainly as far as I can recall, and even if they were only filmed as a source of entertainment and not entirely factually correct, they would be a great curiosity for Culture Club fans and film buffs alike.

This instalment was acted well and I felt directed and edited with care too. Akin to 'Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!' (2006) and 'Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me' (2008), it was a warts and all piece about an icon.

836.71/1000.

It's a shame there is no Theatre of Hate songs in this 80's strory which is the band that Kirk Brandon was the lead singer. This is an interesting story from Boy George's Autobiography one which Kirk Brandon denied & sued Boy George in Court & lost. I found it entertaining enough & there are lots of 80's tunes in here but no Kirk Brandon songs maybe due to copyright but it would have added some context to the story. Apart from that it was an otherwise piece of 80's nostalga with a story that many may not have previously known about.

I thought that this was well acted & both actors who played the two main characters were very good & convincing playing Boy George & Kirk Brandon (who was Rob Stark in Game of Thrones). Do you really want to hurt me is used in the film & suits it perfectly as you will find out if you warch this gem. There are many other well known 80's musicians and icons who are scattered throughout the film so see how many you can spot.

*Possible Spoilers* I watched this and it was AMAZING. Full of everything a television programme could need; angst, comedy, romance, honest truths...the list goes on! The acting is incredibly good, and always believable. Though it was all wonderful, my personal favourite parts were the cute and subtle bits of romance. In parts, it made me 'aww' audibly! Douglas Booth, who played George, looks an incredibly amount like him. A perfectly chosen actor, there in my opinion. And, as an added bonus, he's absolutely gorgeous! The only low part for me, was that the lip-syncing of the songs was rather bad. The mouths move to the right words, but it doesn't look like he's actually singing it. But this is merely a small thing, and hardly really detracts from how wonderful the whole thing was. I would highly recommend watching/buying this. A brilliant piece of drama! Douglas Booth is definitely a star in the making! Look out for him in the future!

Boy George's autobiography Take It Like A Man I think is the best I have read. It offers a unique insight into fame, money, drug addiction and a cynical pop industry. I know that this movie is not based on the book and that Boy George was involved in the script. This film is decent enough, but it fails to embrace Boy George's personality, charisma and unique and fresh image that conquered the entire pop world. This is too static and slow for me, and I can't quite get involved. I hope the next biopic about Boy George manages to highlight the essence of Boy George's abilities and talent that made him a major pop star and the honest and straightforward personality he always offers in interviews and performances.