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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The price of finding love and reconnecting with family..., August 16, 2006
This review is from: The Conrad Boys (DVD)
Conrad Boys is a bit of a mixed bag. Made for what looks like ten bucks, using dime store actors, and looking as though it's been shot in your next-door neighbor's garage, the film is, to say the least, certainly rough around the edges. But with all its faults and it's tendency towards brazen mawkishness, The Conrad Boys eventually morphs into a moderately compelling drama which is quite a feat, considering that it's Justin Lo's first film and that he wrote, directed and actually stars in it.
Set in Newport Beach, Conrad Boys is all about family dysfunction and where the responsibilities of adulthood are thrust on those who are least ready for it. Lo stars as nineteen-year-old Charlie who has been given the job of looking after his younger brother Ben (Boo Boo Stewart) after their Asian mother dies from a pain in the side - yes, she just falls over giving a massage, and eve more strange is that her illness is never fully explained!
Charlie had big dreams of going to college back East but now he has to put everything on hold. He's the only provider and makes his living from a waiter's salary. Obviously Mum must have left him some money because it's the only way he can hold on to and keep up a reasonably upscale Newport Beach home. Charlie's world is turned on its head with the arrival of Jordan (Nick Bartzen), sexy and charismatic drifter who claims to write poetry and is the only person who takes an interest in Charlie's love of ancient history.
Lacking a place to stay and obviously on the run from something or someone shady, Jordan moves in and promptly seduces Charlie. Meanwhile, the boys' ex-alcoholic father (Barry Shay) turns up after a six-year absence, wanting desperately to get back into Charlie's good graces and win over the young and emotionally shutdown Ben.
The poor embittered Charlie has to cope with the arrival of his father and also his bourgeoning feelings for Jordan who continues to entice him with poetry and dope. When Jordan's surreptitious past eventually catches up with him, Charlie gets involved in all sorts of melodramatics that enliven up what otherwise would have been a rather tepid and overly sentimental story.
The real standout here is Bartzen as Jordan who manages to quite persuasive as this hot looking and magnetic vagabond whose real motives remain unclear. Is he just using the vulnerable Charlie for a place to stay, or does he harbor deeper feelings for his new young friend?
The main problem with the film is the character of Charlie who comes across as a bit of an unlikable whiner and a constantly frustrated grouch. Like Jordan, you feel like screaming at him to just lighten up. Also, Lo doesn't have a lot of screen charisma, and he often comes across as a bit precious when he doesn't really need to be.
Still, it is to Lo's credit that Conrad Boys doesn't fall into the predictable cliché's of family relationships dramas and as a director he's never over-indulgent and he keeps the story taut and moving along at a nice pace. The ending comes as a surprise and is without a doubt infused with a type of sadness and bittersweet irony that does indeed bring a tear to one's eye. Mike Leonard August 06.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too Many Irons in the Fire, August 24, 2006
This review is from: The Conrad Boys (DVD)
CONRAD BOYS is not a bad movie: the story though frequently used by others holds its own, the style of direction keeps the pace moving, the message of the movie is worth stating. The problem is one of a single person assuming the role of writer, director, film editor AND principal actor. Justin Lo does well in all categories except the last one. As pleasant as he is to look at his ability to create a believable character on film is seriously lacking.
Charlie (Lo) is a 19-year old taking care of his little brother Ben (Boo Boo Stewart) after the sudden death of their mother. Charlie is a history buff headed for Columbia for college until his mother's death halts that direction. He becomes a recluse despite his friend Tori (Nancy Hancock) attempts to get him out of his cafe job and into a social life. But at last Charlie reluctantly attends a party and eventually encounters a very handsome, intelligent drifter Jordan (Nick Bartzen) who touches Charlie's buried attraction and the two become friends and more. Jordan has demons, some of which become painfully apparent form his life of crime's encounters from the past. Another stumbling block for Charlie's adjustment appears in the form of his long departed recovering alcoholic father Doug (Barry Shay) who has cleaned up his act and wants to be a part of Ben's and Charlie's lives. The myriad clashes to Charlie's fragile ego serve only to bring out his protective forces in caring for Ben and eventually his nascent longing for Jordan and his responsibility for Ben are settled in surprising ways.
The cast Lo has selected is fine - especially the promising young Nick Bartzen and the solid Barry Shay. If only Lo had had the foresight to cast Charlie with an equally fine actor the film would have played more strongly. But as a first film by a young talent there is reason to view this venture. Justin Lo gives evidence of being a solid talent who just needs some focus. Grady Harp, August 06
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging and Quite Watchable, November 17, 2006
This review is from: The Conrad Boys (DVD)
If, like me, you can enjoy a small, intimate and thoughtful film, The Conrad Boys definitely has something to offer.
This is truly a family film, though certainly not in the way that overused term usually implies.
Charlie is a likable but somewhat rigid and introverted young man who faces some major life changes over the course of the story. Even though his own future becomes uncertain, he's determined to single-handedly raise his little brother as well.
The DVD includes a lively Director's Commentary which points out some things you may not notice in a first viewing, and also contains some indications of the care that went into the script and musical choices.
Even though there are a few scenes that could perhaps have been more polished, that seemed to stem mostly from the constraints of a low budget, a chronic complication for most indie makers that is alluded to in the Director's Commentary. I found any such flaws easy to overlook in light of the film's other merits.
It's noteworthy that the same person wrote, co-produced, directed, edited AND starred in this movie. As with many small films, this may have been due, in at least some part, to necessity. And while that was an ambitious -- and perhaps even risky -- choice, particularly for a young director's first film, it does result in a highly personal work. We shouldn't forget that some real gems have been made over the years by directors who are able to maintain that degree of creative control over their movies.
Overall, The Conrad Boys represents quite an accomplishment for a first-time director, including his sensitive portrayal of Charlie. I look forward to his future projects.
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