We don't normally follow up on film reviews. The situation with Funny Boy has produced a few exceptions along the way.
Our review was based on the CBC version that aired on December 4. The hope was that the Netflix version with subtitles for everything might clear up some of the audio issues.
The fact that the Netflix version had no subtitles of any kind for most of the first day might have chased off some casual interest to the Canadian film.
Here are some of the things we learned from watching the Netflix version:
- Shehan is Sinhalese. Nobody in the family seems to care about that fact. Radha's boyfriend was Sinhalese and almost everyone cared.
- We learned more about how Jegan came into the picture. Still doesn't address why Jegan dominates the second half of the film.
- The Netflix subtitles, once they arrived, helped us when Tamil was being spoken instead of Sinhala.
- We get to understand most of Shehan says. His dialogue doesn't add a lot.
- The mother is more interested in Jegan than Arjie in the second half of the film. Her growth on the Tamil Tigers as a contrast to her husband is poignant.
- Annie Lennox dominates the wall in Shehan's room as well as the shirt he wears later on.
Our main criticisms remain:
- The aunt disappears but we don't know where she went. If she was going to Canada, why wouldn't she take the man she loved instead of the Tamil guy she was forced to marry? Also, we don't know that is where she went.
- The Arjie-Shehan relationship is diminished and trivialised. We get why Jegan's story is important but that should have been the B storyline.
- The music references are useful but don't line up to the Black July timeline.
- Key plot points are lost without the subtitles.
- Funny Boy is less about the funny boy in the second half of the film.
We recommended last week that viewers rely on subtitles for every word to truly follow the film. That is more true than ever.
Canadian film review: Funny Boy
Our Funny Boy preview with debuts soon on CBC and Netflix
Deepa Mehta's Funny Boy is Canada's Oscars selection
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
Some might say that we are nit-picking what is otherwise a lovely story. The top contenders for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards are complete films. They aren't flawed films such as Hochelaga, Land of Souls, Chien de Garde, and Antigone. A stronger ending for Antigone, less wooden acting from one of the main actors in Hochelaga, Land of Souls, and a totally different film than Chien de Garde would have improved Canada's chances.
For Funny Boy, another year would have helped some the issues, such as the Tamil language concerns, odd dialogue choices, poor audio mix, a better timeline in the second half of the film, and a bit more history on Black July.
The story might be enough to overcome the flaws in the eyes of Oscars viewers. We will find out for certain on February 9.
Funny Boy is available in Canada on CBC Gem and on Netflix outside Canada.
photo credit: Funny Boy film
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