During the production of "Cyrano" for a school play, an awkward but imaginative pupil helps the handsome but spectacularly dim school hero pursue the fiery daughter of a visiting French teacher.
The feature-length directorial debut from Toby MacDonald, Old Boys is a delightfully eccentric flick. Set in the 1980s in a satirical interpretation of a boys private boarding school, MacDonald throws shade at every aspect of the "boys club", putting forth a quirky introspective on the cultish nature of wealth, with entitlement, peculiar sports, and hazing traditions.
The entire story is built around the same love triangle that has been plaguing romance films since forever; this specific story deriving from Edmond Rostand's 1897 theatrical play, Cyrano de Bergerac. The same story, reimagined, not only in a different time period but also in a different tone. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World if it were back in the 80s.
Unperturbed by the unoriginal source material, Old Boys brings a warped and twisted comedic style that manages to charm the pants off of the audience. There is something inherently unabashedly likeable about our young trio of protagonists that fuels their onscreen chemistry. There is no fooling the audience. We know every single step that is going to be taken, but thanks to the charismatic performances and warm, eye-catching visual style, we are more than happy to go along for the ride.
The vintage colour palette of rich greens and yellows is warming, but the really intriguing aspect of this setting is how we view the behaviour of the students and teachers at this facility. There is a sincerity to the actions occurring onscreen, and while some traditions and customs seem bizarre in what little context we have as the audience, it is still in the vein of real events, which creates a conflicting realism vs dystopia that makes this satire all the more fascinating. Even going as far as to create a fantastical sport (called Streamers) that boggles the mind every time you see it onscreen.
It's eccentric, it's kooky, but it has such a strong overriding sense of charm. Brilliant performances from Alex Lawther, Jonah Hauer-King, and Pauline Etienne turn this safe and formulaic comedy into something that really shines.