Watch Boulevard
- R
- 2015
-
5.8 (9,059)
Boulevard is a poignant drama film directed by Dito Montiel and released in 2014. The film features the late Robin Williams in his final live-action role, and also stars Roberto Aguire and Kathy Baker. The story follows Nolan Mack (Robin Williams), a gentle and reserved man who has spent his entire adult life working at the same bank job and living a seemingly content, if dull, existence with his wife Joy (Kathy Baker). However, as Nolan approaches his 60th birthday, he begins to feel increasingly adrift and disillusioned with his life. His routine is interrupted when he makes an impulsive decision to pick up a young hustler, Leo (Roberto Aguire), on a late-night drive.
Over the course of the film, the relationship between Nolan and Leo deepens and becomes more complex, as Nolan realizes that his feelings for Leo are not just about physical attraction, but also a need for genuine human connection and fulfillment. At the same time, Nolan's relationship with his wife Joy is strained and distant, as they struggle to communicate their true feelings to each other. As Nolan navigates these unfamiliar and emotionally fraught situations, he must grapple with difficult questions about his identity, desires, and priorities.
The performances in Boulevard are uniformly excellent. Robin Williams gives a sensitive and nuanced performance as Nolan, imbuing the character with a quiet dignity and vulnerability that make him both sympathetic and relatable. Roberto Aguire is also impressive as Leo, bringing a mix of toughness and vulnerability to the role of the young hustler.
The film is visually subdued, with muted colors and a focus on quiet domestic interiors and city streets. These choices reflect the film's themes of isolation and inner turmoil, and help to create a compelling sense of emotional intimacy.
One of the central themes of Boulevard is the tension between societal expectations and personal fulfillment. Nolan's life has been shaped by certain expectations about what it means to be a successful, respectable, heterosexual man. These expectations have kept him in a comfortable but ultimately unsatisfying routine, and he must reconcile his desires with the fear of stepping outside the bounds of societal norms.
The film also explores the complexities of human connection, and the different forms that love and friendship can take. Nolan's relationship with Leo is one of intense intimacy and mutual dependence, but it is also complicated by differences in age, class, and life experience. Meanwhile, his marriage to Joy is fraught with unspoken tensions and misunderstandings, as both partners struggle to articulate their true feelings.
Overall, Boulevard is a beautifully acted and emotionally resonant film that explores themes of identity, isolation, and longing. It is a poignant final testament to the talent of Robin Williams, who imbues his character with a depth of feeling and pathos that is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Boulevard is a 2015 drama. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8 and a MetaScore of 52.