The History Boys (2006)

Film: The History Boys (2006)
Stars: Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour, Stephen Campbell Moore, Samuel Barnett, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Russell Tovey
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Oscar History: Griffiths and de la Tour both nabbed BAFTA nominations, but nothing gave with Oscar.
Snap Judgment Ranking: 3/5 stars

In my constant pursuit of all things Russell Tovey (we don't get him nearly as frequently on this side of the pond, and sadly it seems we'll get less of him with Looking now off the air permanently), I noticed that The History Boys, based on the smash-hit play by Alan Bennett (which swept the Tonys nine years ago) had reached the top of my queue and as a result it was time to catch it.  While I vaguely knew what to expect, the film had some really fascinating questions about sexuality that I wasn't expecting, with me thinking this was more of a Dead Poets Society or Mr. Holland's Opus style tale rather than something about the taboo-ness of sexuality and the many questions posed by education.

(Spoilers Ahead) The film is about a group of brilliant young men in Sheffield who have excellent marks, but don't seem to have the poshness and panache to sell their grades during Oxbridge interviews.  The film alternates between two different teaching styles: a more fanciful, love-of-life whimsy (taught by Richard Griffiths' Hector) and a more pragmatic, teach-to-the-interview style taught by Stephen Campbell Moore's Irwin.  The film progresses with odd soliloquies amidst the growing up of several of the students, particularly Dominic Cooper's Dakin and Samuel Barnett's Posner.

The film is clearly a filmed play, and while they occasionally take that idea out for-a-stretch, the film has all the hang-ups of a filmed play as well.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing (something like A Streetcar Named Desire is arguably the finest example of using this to your advantage), but it does occasionally mean that the film feels a bit stilted by its surroundings.  Some of the speeches veer away from fanciful into the ridiculous, and probably played better on the boards.  However, it's still quite enjoyable to see the throwbacks to culture and poetry (my favorite example being Samuel Barnett reciting, verbatim, Celia Johnson's train speech in Brief Encounter), and I loved the way that there is this celebration of learning in a way that feels relatively fresh in-the-moment, even if upon reflection it's something you've seen before (perhaps this is the only way to stretch the "shape young minds" example).

The film frequently veers into the classroom-imitating-life, never more so than when Irwin insists that the boys rethink history, and how we treat the obvious villains of it.  This mirrors in many ways the way Bennett treats the subplot, regarding both Irwin and Hector having sexual attractions to the young men in their classrooms.  This may have played slightly different in Britain than in the United States, where SVU and To Catch a Predator are the first faces we picture when we see teachers having affairs with students, but it's oddly non-judgmental about the actions taken by Hector, who frequently takes the boys for motorcycle rides where he feels their genitals, and Irwin, who is clearly in love with Dominic Cooper's Dakin, who is increasingly smitten with him.  Hector in many ways is thought a fool by the students, but a fool that they like as a teacher and whom they want to continue on in his position.  It helps from a fourth wall perspective that we know that all of these actors are in their twenties, rather than the actual age they're playing onscreen, but it's definitely not the treatment you expect from a movie such as this.  The film ends on a traditional note with Hector dying, and with Irwin, who has decided to start a sexual affair with Dakin, ultimately not consummating the relationship, but it definitely doesn't shy away from the fluidity of sexuality during this age, and from tackling a taboo subject in a way that, while not condoning such behavior, isn't black-and-white.

The film's performances are all strong theatrical pieces, though not everyone translates properly from the stage to the screen.  I feel like Richard Griffiths in particular feels a bit outlandish and over-the-top in a role that totally would have dominated on Broadway or the West End, while Dominic Cooper, arguably the biggest name of the young male leads (give or take James Corden), feels very comfortable on the quieter venue of film, frequently flirting with anything that moves and finding an ease here that I am surprised he was also able to muster on-stage.  Frances de la Tour may serve little purpose other than to carry on conversations on film, but she's so grand that I'm glad she got this role.  And as for my beloved Russell, he's fine if a bit underwritten as the class "dunce," more concerned with sports than what is in the history books.

Those are my thoughts on this shockingly provocative film that occasionally feels a bit much but nonetheless is interesting throughout.  What were yours?  I know I'm late to the party here, but I'd love to get your comments!