Within all its humor, the show is also able to gracefully address and poke fun at the mismanaged societal issues we all know totally suck. Starring: Brandon Ingram, Nimmi Harasgama, Ali Kazmi. Distributed by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY outlet and streaming on Netflix from December 10, this involving, accessible modern melodrama, revisiting the LGBTQ+ themes of Fire, should attract wide viewing beyond Asian audiences. “Funny Boy” will debut on Netflix in the U.S., U.K., New Zealand and Australia on Dec. 10. Starring: Brandon Ingram, Nimmi Harasgama, Ali Kazmi. Funny Boy is like that; the setting is a character in itself. I will not profess to have extensive knowledge of the social turmoil of Sri Lanka in the 1970s or the events leading up to the 1983 uprisings, but Funny Boy centres itself on the political tensions escalating between the Sinhalese and Tamils. Find out if 'Funny Boy' is available to stream on Netflix by using Flixboss - the unofficial Netflix guide. Deepa Mehta (the Oscar-nominated "Water") directed this drama, based on a novel … While it strays away from the dramatics, Funny Boy lives in the moment, shining through salient messages that live through the characters. Funny Boy. A storytelling device that is ingenious at first, but soon feels over-insistent, is the occasional flash insert in Arjie’s childhood of his older self, and vice versa. This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date. “Deepa Mehta’s ’Funny Boy’ builds upon the iconic filmmaker’s provocative canon of work as a film that is beautiful to the eye and emotional for the heart,” they said. JOIN NOW . A student must navigate issues of sexuality, identity and family amid Sri Lanka's social turmoil of the 1970s and 1980s. 'Funny Boy' is an adaptation of author Shyam Selvadurai's 1994 novel of the same. UNLIMITED TV SHOWS & MOVIES. 911 likes. Netflix 'Funny Boy': All you need to know about the language controversy around Deepa Mehta's Oscar entry Legitimate concerns are being raised about what could have been the Tamil version of what 'Moonlight' was for the Black, queer community A mock wedding ceremony among the children, with Arjie in bridal drag, shows his delight in testing gender expectations –encouraged by his young aunt Radha (Agam Darshi), a cosmopolitan free spirit who teaches Arjie the self-affirmative motto, “don’t mess with the grand diva” (perhaps anachronistically for 1974, but it will pass). The pains of coming out during civil war. 'Funny Boy': Meet Brandon Ingram, Seema Biswas, Agam Darshi and the rest of the cast of Canada's 2021 Oscar entry. But Arjie’s journey to self-liberation certainly looks a smoother ride than is altogether believable in this setting. Learn how your comment data is processed. This site uses cookies. Netflix Netflix. For more recaps, reviews, and original features covering the world of entertainment, why not follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page? And I think that works rather well — it brings a certain naturalness to the story. Regardless, this a significant release and from the outset, it’s heavy on the themes, making it a midweek watch on the platform. Overall, Funny Boy is sharply acted, with Harasgama particularly imposing as a serious, quietly concerned mother, and Darshi genial as Arjie’s rebel mentor. Here are the best teen shows on Netflix. Netflix Netflix. Photo: ‘Funny Boy’/Netflix ‘ Funny Boy ’ opens with an image of Sri Lanka that evokes paradise. Homosexuality is still criminalised in Sri Lanka, and the film’s young hero Arjie spends his life under the disapproving eye of relatives – and later, hostile schoolmates – who are quick to spot signs of deviation from approved masculinity. Right from the start, DoP Douglas Koch’s vibrant colours and use of an exuberantly free-floating camera evoke a privileged, almost fairy-tale world for young Arjie, despite the problems he faces (the opening beach scenes veer perilously close to holiday brochure gorgeousness). ‘Funny Boy’: Review (Netflix) By Jonathan Romney 2020-12-08T16:59:00+00:00. Netflix Netflix. 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Funny Boy. JOIN NOW SIGN IN. Nevertheless, it is undeniably executed with unsentimental intelligence, integrity and some bracing mischievousness. The LGBTQ coming-of-age drama “Funny Boy” (2020, not rated) chronicles a young man coming to terms with his sexuality amidst the political strife of Sri Lanka of the 70’s and 80’s. But for some older fans, its a fun walk down memory lane. The main cast playing Tamil characters in this Deepa Mehta film are mostly Sinhalese (Sri Lanka’s majority population) and North Indian -- which has evoked protests from the Tamil diaspora who have complained of 'cultural erasure' This film understands the moment; it understands the pressure bestowed on the main character. You can tell effort has been made to reflect Sri Lanka; the filming locations are in the country itself and there’s a stillness present in the film, where the director allows the scenes and the background noise to play out rather than zoning in on character actions. This review of Netflix film Funny Boy contains no spoilers. Funny Boy is based on the 1994 novel by Shyam Selvadurai, and the author has adapted the novel with Indian-Canadian film-maker Deepa Mehta, someone well practised in counterpointing the public and the private since her trilogy Fire, Earth and Water (1996-2005). Production companies: Hamilton-Mehta Productions, Summer Wine, International sales: ARRAY Releasing, info@arraynow.com, Producers: David Hamilton, Hussain Amarshi, Screenplay: Deepa Mehta, Shyam Selvadurai, from the novel by Shyam Selvadurai, Main cast: Ali Kazmi, Nimmi Harasgama, Brandon Ingram, Agam Darshi, A young boy is forced to flee Medillin for the mountains and his elderly grandfather in Henry E Rincon’s follow-up to ‘Hero Steps’. Set in Sri Lanka during the 1970s and 1980s, the film explores the sexual awakening of its young protagonist Arjie (played by Arush Nand/Brandon Ingram) from a young boy, deemed 'funny' by a disapproving family, to a teenager enamoured by a male classmate UNLIMITED TV SHOWS & MOVIES. So with the premise in mind, there’s plenty to unpick in Funny Boy. Canada. The setting is Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1974, where Arjie (played as a child by Arush Nand) is growing up with his siblings in the opulent home of his wealthy Tamil family, led by his mother (Nimmi Harasgama), hotelier father (Ali Kazmi), grandmother (Bandit Queen’s Seema Biswas, a long-standing Mehta collaborator). Lê Bảo’s debut took the Special Jury Prize in the festival’s avant garde Encounters section, A group of elegant Porteños gathers every week to read aloud from Proust, Screenwriter Erica Li makes her directorial debut with Chris Doyle behind the lens. It makes its American debut a week after premiering in Canada. 2020 | TV-MA | 1h 49m | Dramas. Mike Ford / Kathryn Gaitens Funny Boy author Shyam Selvadurai and director Deepa Mehta The new Deepa Mehta film, Funny Boy, will represent Canada at … With films portraying the traumatic passage from happy childhood to the bitter adult reality of political conflict, the shift can be awkward between the rapturous depiction of youth and the later evocation of hate and blood. Earlier scenes show the young boy dressing up as a woman, with a particular acquaintance damning his choices. A student must navigate issues of sexuality, identity and family amid Sri Lanka's social turmoil of the 1970s and 1980s. Funny Boy is a strange release because while it was advertised as a Netflix film on the schedule, the drama is splashed on to the streaming service with no association to the brand whatsoever. Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy' To Mark Debut On Netflix On December 10 Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy' is all set to mark its digital debut on Netflix on December 10, 2020, while it … Watch all you want. Funny Boy certainly couldn’t be considered hard-edged art cinema, its mainstream polish arguably helping its harsher content slip down a little too smoothly. Site by FireCask. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes. Funny Boy Not rated. In Tamil, English and Sinhalese, with subtitles. All rights reserved. Starring: Brandon Ingram, Nimmi Harasgama, Ali Kazmi. However, its visibility will no doubt further fuel the controversy that has risen about the shortage of Tamil actors in significant roles, something that Mehta has insisted she tried hard to avoid. Copyright © 2020 Ready Steady Cut. No doubt expressly, the film shows Arjie facing disapproval and suspicion rather than outright castigation, and homophobia in this story is somewhat eclipsed by the anti-Tamil feelings depicted more graphically – and it could be argued that the two forms of hatred become metaphorically equivalent here. Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Funny Boy review – a well-measured piece of work that is a ‘must-watch’ on Netflix. Mehta shows Arjie’s family facing catastrophe, although the film eschews a too epic dramatisation of conflict. By Jonathan Romney2020-12-08T16:59:00+00:00, Deepa Mehta’s appealing drama follows two young lovers in Sri Lanka amid the outbreak of the Civil War. Executed with unsentimental intelligence, integrity and some bracing mischievousness. JOIN NOW . Radha herself gets her wings clipped when, having fallen for a young Sinhalese man – defying the deep-entrenched hostilities between Sinhalese and Tamils - the family curbs her freedom drastically. JOIN NOW. JOIN NOW SIGN IN. There are lots of funny movies on Netflix, from rom-coms to dark satires, to even superhero comedies. 2020 TV-MA 1h 49m LGBTQ Dramas. Funny Boy’s transition in this respect feels that bit more jarring in view of the heightened sunniness of the early sections. "Don't mess with the grand Diva!" “Funny Boy” will debut on Netflix in the U.S., U.K., New Zealand and Australia on Dec. 10. Funny Boy review – Sri Lankan rites-of-passage tale clashes with political reality . This clearly states that you cannot watch ma… Despite the tensions, the film chooses to remain relatively calm; the director wants the audience to feel how escalating tensions were normal for the characters rather than it being a shock to the system. Funny Boy is a 2020 Canadian drama film, directed by Deepa Mehta. In the meantime, Arjie turns 17 (now played by Brandon Ingram) and attends a posh private school where he clicks with Sinhalese classmate Shehan (Rehan Mudannayake), an urbane Oscar Wilde fan who introduces him to David Bowie and Eurythmics. Especially when it comes to queer characters. There's a lot of content on Netflix — a whole lot. Watch all you want. The story follows a student named Arje, who experiences a sexual awakening as a young boy and journeys it all the way to a teenager and falling in love with a classmate. A student must navigate issues of sexuality, identity and family amid … This brings a certain reminder of Roma, that enjoyed the buzz and atmosphere that sits within the environment. With good video quality and some independent artist works you are surely going to start ditching typical Hollywood movies on Netflix and other sites.Note: As I say all the time that Netflix is completely subjected under the different regional based content. We often become accustomed to our traditional and evolving political systems, yet often forget that a slight change in attitude or law in another country can have undesirable consequences. She also witnesses an outburst of violence against Tamils, presaging later events. Watch all you want. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Tender allies against an oppressive world, Arjie and Shehan fall in love and find release in the haven of the latter’s grandly crumbling mansion, but their idyll can only remain secret for so long. The best funny movies on Netflix in March 2021 include a strong mix of slapstick comedies and Netflix originals, with something for all tastes. Regardless, when wanting to binge the genre, Netflix has an array of films to choose from. What Should You Watch Next? It’s a well-measured piece of work. His personal circumstances are compounded with the turmoil of the country at the time, forcing the character to navigate the times while staying true to himself. Available on Netflix… An adaptation of Shyam Selvadurai's 1994 novel of the same name, the film centres on the coming of age of Arjie Chelvaratnam, a young Tamil boy in Sri Lanka who is coming to terms with his homosexuality against the backdrop of the increased tensions between Tamil and Sinhalese people before the breakout of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Funny Boy. It decides to stray away from the dramatics. This review of Netflix film Funny Boy contains no spoilers. Philip Yung’s Where The Wind Blows and Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong will open the festival. Aside from the controversy over casting (lead actor Ingram is part of the Eurasian ethnic group of Sri Lankan Burghers), there is initially something of a credibility gap in the presentation of Ingram and Mudannayake as teenagers. Funny Boy. From her groundbreaking Elements Trilogy to “Funny Boy,” her gorgeous new queer coming-of-age tale currently streaming on Netflix, Deepa Mehta makes films … Audiences should definitely add this to their streaming list. We see a mock bridal procession led by our young protagonist Arjie (Arush Nand), who wears bright red lipstick and a sari to match. Political trauma and the road to personal liberation make a potent combination – although one painted with approachably gentle brushstrokes - in Funny Boy, a gay coming-of-age story set against the background of the Sri Lankan civil war. It creates a fun illusion of what teenage years could be; high school, irrational decisions, and one's first complicated love. The main lesson to observe in Funny Boy is how, on a macro level, political decisions can severely impact people’s lives.