★★★★

Heartbreaking, devastating, tearjerking: Felix Van Groeningen's Beautiful Boy is just as emotionally resonant as you'd expect it to be. Following the journey of a father and his son who becomes addicted to crystal meth, the film is mostly upheld by powerhouse performances by Steve Carrell and Timothée Chalamet, and will likely be two of the best we'll see all year. Expect many awards nominations for them both this year - the Oscar is Timothée's to win. The non-chronological narrative used worked fairly well with the story, but more artistic liberties could have been taken - at times the film felt like it was forcibly making sure it catered to mainstream audiences. But put that aside, and I dare you to not be moved by this story and the immense number of real families that this film represents. 

The film is based on two memoirs: Beautiful Boy by David Sheff (portrayed by Carrell) and Tweak by Nic Sheff (portrayed by Chalamet). The utilization and manipulation of the source material was interesting to see here, but the timeline in which events played out worked well with the film's content. The beautiful Californian setting made for some stunning shots (although more could have been done with this gorgeous scenery right at their fingertips). But above all, this film shined so bright because of the emotional power of its two leads, and that alone makes it worth watching. And if you're a Timothée fan, be sure to stay around for the end credits to hear him recite a Charles Bukowski poem in the most eloquent way you've ever heard a 22-year-old boy read poetry.