“BOULEVARD” My rating: B
88 minutes | MPAA rating: R
Even without the knowledge that it is Robin Williams’ last film, “Boulevard” would be a melancholy affair.
Williams plays Nolan Mack, a bank loan officer who for most of his 60 years has been ignoring the fact that he’s gay.
Nolan has been married for four decades to Joy (Kathy Baker). They’re friends, no longer lovers. Separate bedrooms. Pretty much separate lives. There’s love there, but no heat.
He’s the kind of buttoned-down guy who keeps his tie on after getting home from work.
Nolan only lets down his hair — and then only a bit — when hanging with his oldest and best friend, Winston (an excellent Bob Odenkirk), a sardonic college prof with a long history of affairs with his students. In Winston’s presence Nolan relaxes enough to let his sense of humor slip out. Just a bit.
Nolan’s mother recently died and his father is slipping into dementia. After one grim night at the nursing home Noland cruises aimlessly through the city’s streets and comes across Leo (Roberto Aguire), a young hustler.
Nolan is smitten. He buys the young man small gifts. He presents him with a cell phone so they can always be in contact.
Roberto Aquire, Robin Williams
But it’s a peculiarly chaste obsession. Leo is puzzled that they’re not having sex. Sex is how Leo — an insecure, deeply troubled boy — maintains the illusion that he’s in control. He doesn’t know what to make of Nolan’s almost paternal patronage.
Meanwhile Nolan’s lifetime of lying is beginning to unravel, both at home and the office.
Written by Douglas Soesbe and directed by Dito Montiel (“A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints”), “Boulevard” is a somber affair that largely avoids the exploitative — save for a dubious subplot involving a thuggish pimp (GilesMatthey) who is threatening Leo.
Mostly it’s about getting inside Nolan’s head. Williams, an actor whose career was characterized by brilliant outbursts, lowers the heat to a very slow simmer. It’s a quiet performance which, taken in the context of his suicide, is very nearly heartbreaking.
All is not misery. “Boulevard” ends on a cautiously optimistic note. Maybe it’s never to late to be who you were meant to be.
| Robert W. Butler
Butler's Cinema Scene 
Robert —- You possibly know about the subject of this comment (meant to write following reception at GRAND ARTS, last Friday Aug 7th)—but came down with stupid ‘summer cold’ and miserable since the 8th. Margaret has an “interesting” film in the back space of her studio, and my reason for writing is to ask if you’ve seen the film? Excellent clips concerning horrors of “war” —-(some would say it’s an anti-war film) but more precisely, an “anti gun” film. A friend and I at the screening speculated about the “copyright” status of this film—-and I could only recall clips as well as motion picture trailers are often “free” of copyright, and perhaps Margaret’s film falls into such category. In any event Robert—please view this film—and let’s see if it is worthy of specific comment. Kind regards…….Herb Miller (913.362-8375) or 707.9879.