Movie Review: "Beautiful Boy" Proves Timothée Chalamet Is the Best Thing in Movies Right Now

Recovery is a process, and so is adapting life stories for the big screen.

"I didn’t cause it. I can’t cure it. I can’t control it." Those are the three "Cs" of Alcoholics Anonymous that greet the family in Beautiful Boy as they attempt to reckon with their son’s addiction to meth. That last tip must frustrate producers trying to turn this true story and stories like it into conventional movies.

Beautiful Boy is centered on father and son David and Nic Sheff, who documented their differing perspectives on Nic’s struggle with addiction in two memoirs: David’s Beautiful Boy and Nic’s Tweak.

Clearly, as the title indicates, dad’s perspective wins out; he’s played warmly by Steve Carell. Yet Nic gets to be portrayed by internet boyfriend/legitimate talent Timothée Chalamet. So, there’s that.

For those who haven’t read the books (I’ve only read Tweak), David Sheff, as depicted here, is a freelance reporter in San Francisco whose high literary hopes for his son are dashed when Nic winds up in rehab rather than college. In those early days, David allays his concerns with reports on Nic’s steady progress, and data that indicates his brain will soon be able to undo the damage done by methamphetamines. However, as the years pass, Nic’s path to recovery becomes circuitous and perilous, with David, his wife Karen (Maura Tierney) and Nic’s mother Vicki (Amy Ryan) wondering where they went wrong, and when they should pull their previously unconditional support.

It’s taken a decade for the tale to get the cinematic treatment, and as the credits indicate, the tale is ongoing. So, should this even be squeezed into a feature film shape? And does it work for the rest of us?

Yes, mostly. This adaptation largely describes Nic’s addiction from David’s point of view, circling back on times of crisis after reflecting on a more innocent youth. Director Felix Van Groeningen’s The Broken Circle Breakdown was another winding weepy, though that didn’t just jerk tears; it attempted to extract them using enhanced interrogation techniques. Beautiful Boy is less manipulative—thanks to the cast—and not so convoluted—courtesy of Van Groeningen and co-writer Luke Davies, the Aussie behind Lion and his inspired-by-truth novel Candy.

Clearly, experts are involved. Still, is Beautiful Boy the ideal way to relay an addiction autobiography? You can feel it pulling in opposite directions, not sure when to tug the heartstrings and lean into the tragedy (exploitatively), and when to strike an inspirational, conclusive tone (falsely). Van Groeningen finds a tonal middle ground, and that's where the flick ultimately lands.

Carell, Tierney and Ryan all do good, understated work, in roles that specifically call on them to be passive observers of Nic’s undoing. Chalamet, on the other hand, takes to his task with gusto, as his character makes desperate decisions and ruins his mind and body to everyone’s bafflement. How do you know when someone’s acting well and not overacting? When their actions ring true to the character, I suppose, and you believe them. I believed Chalamet. You could call it a James Dean—or even a James Franco—impression, charming and roiling at once, but he’s no imitator. Timothée Chalamet is the best thing about the movies right now.

And maybe that’s why you compromise and squeeze the Sheff story into a film-shaped box for mass consumption: to provide those in similar situations comfort without selling them false hope, delivered by artists at their peak. Beautiful Boy is neither a how-to guide or a cautionary tale; it gives addicts and their families honest analogues, and the more of those there are to battle stigmas and inspire empathy, the better.

3.5/5

In Australian cinemas 25 October. Rated MA15+ for strong drug use.