The History Boys [M]

In a grey and grim northern Grammar School in Yorkshire, a select group of incredibly bright boys are desperately studying to pass their entrance exams for Oxford and Cambridge. Although each boy knows all the answers, their papers and essays lack “flare” and so a new teacher is brought in not only to teach them history, but to teach them to answer questions in a way that no one else will… an interesting way. 

On the surface, this is a mere film about a group of boys learning the ways of literature and the world, with a hint of the Dead Poets Society about it. But underneath, there are some beautifully conveyed themes of sexual curiosity, religion, homosexuality, and even defiant acceptance in the face of change and order. It’s a wonderful little film that is both dramatic and witty at the same time. I really liked it. 

In a grey and grim northern Grammar School in Yorkshire, a select group of incredibly bright boys are desperately studying to pass their entrance exams for Oxford and Cambridge. Although each boy is incredibly cultured and knows all the answers, their papers and essays lack “flare” and so a new teacher is brought in to not only teach them history, but to teach them to write about in a way that no one else will… and interesting way. 

I must first begin by expressing my intrigue for one particular actor in this film: Dominic Cooper. People will most probably know him for his role in Mamma Mia! alongside Amanda Seyfried, but he was also in Starter For 10, The Duchess and An Education and, quite seriously, in every single film that I have seen him in, he just radiates coolness; even when he’s dressed up all dapper or even period, there is just something about him that is immensely hip. In History Boys, for the most part, he rocks a school uniform of tie, white shirt, and black pants and jacket, mediocre and formal, but he just makes it look so damned cool! It’s like watching the slow-motion walk of the most popular and handsome boy in teen movies… and it would impress me to no end if Dominic goes around in everyday life with that slow-motion swagger. I just find him so intriguing. 

Anyway, back to the film. What I particularly loved about History Boys was its wonderfully wordy and bitingly witty script. A most powerful congregation of words and ideas and opinions if ever there was one and, watching the characters verbalise it on screen, it feels like floating in a cool, calm body of water with your face directly under the sun; a balanced feeling of complete calm and enlightenment. 

With brilliant performances from Dominic Cooper, Samuel Anderson, James Corden, Stephen Campbell Moore, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Andrew Knott, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker, Samuel Barnett, and Sacha Dhawan, History Boys is a wonderful film that’s light and enlightening and filled with history, comedy, science, drama, and plenty of witty comedy. I really liked it it’s a great film.