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Boy Wonder Inception Media Group - 2011
Written & Directed by Michael Morrissey
Starring Caleb Steinmeyer Zulay Henao Bill Sage Daniel Stewart Sherman Tracy Middendorf Chuck Cooper James Russo
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A young boy, Sean Donovan, watches his mother get killed in what appears to be a carjack gone bad. Now ten years later, the boy has become a withdrawn young adult who excels in school and lives alone with his father (Bill Sage)
Sean (Caleb Steinmeyer) visits the police station daily to peruse through the photos in their computer searching for his mom’s killer.
He also trains in martial arts, works out hard and even secretly injects steroids to prepare him to go against the low-life street thugs who beat up women and threaten those who can’t defend themselves.
BOY WONDER is very realistic with a focus on the actors and their interaction with each other. Writer-Director Michael Morrissey has written a compelling script that is brought to the screen with equal directorial skill. I like how the twists and story turns are done with subtleness that is quietly potent.
The ending of this film has to be in the Top-10 I’ve ever seen. It carries a knock-out punch, which is accomplished with three things concluding simultaneously. It blew me away and lifted every hair on my body and gave me goose bumps. I sat with my jaw wide-open thinking “Wow!” The way Morrissey connects the pieces of this puzzle is done with a feathery touch but is so powerful it’ll leave you stunned long after the movie’s ended.
The acting is first rate. You will utterly believe Caleb Steinmeyer as “Sean Donovan.” He’s intelligent and convincingly comes across as a young man tormented by the horrific events that happened to his character. He also pulls off the physicality of the character as he trains and fights to avenge his mom’s death.
Zulay Henao is a very attractive actress and has on screen likeability that anyone would be drawn to. The complex interaction between her character “Teresa Ames” and the “Sean Donovan” character mixed with her character’s trial case against criminal “Larry Childs” (James Russo) plays huge in this film’s dramatic power.
Morrissey’s direction includes not only strong grasp with his actors but the film boosts nice gritty look and feel that also comes from both the score and sound design. The editorial flow has a layout that is purpose (you’ll hear about in the Making Of) and in the end helps achieve the aforementioned staggering climax.
This DVD comes with a 20-minute Making Of that I found to be completely worth watching. The Trailer is included as well.
BOY WONDER is a brilliant movie that isn’t a copycat film of any kind. I can pretty much promise it’ll leave you sitting in your seat in a state of astonishment after it’s conclusion.
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