Blu-ray Review – The Boy Friend

The Boy Friend

Director: Ken Russell

Screenplay:

Minutes: 137

Year: 1971

Score: 6.93

The Boy Friend, by directory Ken Russell, fits in wonderfully in a long line of beautiful and colorful musicals. What is fairly unique is the layered and slightly cerebral story. At its highest level The Boy Friend is the story of Polly Brown, played by Twiggy in her screen debut. Polly is a stage hand with a musical theater group and after the star fractures her leg Polly must gear up and take the star’s place. The next level is the theater’s production itself which is built around very well-performed dance numbers, then, to top it off, some of the dance numbers go even farther to take the numbers off the stage into the world.

It is difficult to put a blanket recommendation on this film. This is a very well made film and it deserves as many eyeballs that it can get. But if I am asked for a British Musicals The Boy Friend is not going to get my answer, not my first answer at least.

Since it is lighter than my first choice I could easily see The Boy Friend as a film I could put on in the background if I wanted an English musical just playing. If musicals do it for you then you do own to yourself to pick this Blu-ray up.

One definite plus for this release, and seemingly all Warner Archive Collection releases, is the very high quality of the physical media itself. The picture is gorgeous and the sound is perfect. Like many WAC releases it is very light on special features; but the meat and potatoes of the package are good enough for me.

Ken Russell’s The Boy Friend is available from WBShop.com.

Director: 10 – Cinematography: 8 – Edit: 5 – Parity: 6 – Main performance: 8 – Else performance: 4 – Score: 7 – Sound: 5 – Story: 6 – Script: 7 – Effects: 7 – Design: 9 – Costumes: 10 – Keeps interest: 7 – Lasting: 5