"The History Boys"

It seems as though it has always been tricky to adapt stage plays on to film. I was profoundly disappointed with the film version of David Auburn's brilliant play "Proof," in spite of a fairly good performance from Gwenyth Paltrow. But, there are many instances where it has worked, including "A Streetcar Named Desire," "The Odd Couple," and "Glengarry, Glen Ross."

Now, one can add last year's film "The History Boys" to that list.

The British film directed Nicholas Hynter from Alan Bennett's play of the same name (the playwright also wrote the screenplay) features a splendid combination of veteran actors like Richard Griffiths with newcomers.

"The History Boys" has difficult themes, including sexual misconduct on the part of teachers in the classroom, but it eases through them with warmth and humor.

The film follows eight teenage boys who have been picked to pursue higher education at Oxford and Cambridge.

According to film critic David Richardson of the British film magazine "Film Review," the cast 'conveys a spontaneity and vivavcity that such repetition might have diminshed."

The playwright also makes one the central characters Hector (Griffiths) who gropes his male students after class into a tragic figure rather than a one-dimensional predator that one sees sensentionalized on new programs like NBC's "Dateline."

Richardson adds that the film is an exhilarating experience which utilizes dialogue to its upmost potential, and the film challenges our intellect as much as our emotions.

One of the other things I personally liked about the film is that indeed feels like a theatrical play. The actors know their characters well, and each actor feeds of the other's lines without missing a beat. Not to be missed. A Wonderful gem.

Useful Links:

Film Review

http://www.visimag.com/filmreview