About A Boy

Hugh Grant fans, and the rest of us, know that he can be relied upon to turn up year after year in the most twee, middlebrow, middle-class and quintessentially English project of the year – and following on from his hilarious escapades in Notting Hill and the infernal Bridget Jones’ Diary, he now takes centre stage for this adaptation of Nick Hornby’s bestseller.

As hinted in the title, it’s about the bonding friendship between Hugh’s character (obnoxious yuppie layabout Will Freeman) and a 12-year-old boy he very reluctantly condescends to befriend, in spite of his apparent hatred for kids and base unwillingness to give them the time of day.

The results are every bit as embarrassing as you might expect, and though About A Boy – competent, never challenging – is destined to be lapped up enthusiastically by a certain kind of audience, most of us will find it insufferably smug.

Hugh is his usual self, though he continues to tentatively expand on that vague ‘Hugh the inconsiderate cad’ second note he developed in Bridget Jones’ Diary. The kid is appealing enough, but wouldn’t want to jack school in just yet, and the relentlessly ‘feelgood’ tone doesn’t take long to become oppressive. Still, it beats Bridget Jones. Barely.