Based on the true story of boys being sexually abused at their orphanage ran by a religious community in Newfoundland.

Before I begin my review, I want to go on record as saying this is one of the most arduous movies I have ever watched in my life. It touched me personally, and there were moments I thought I would not be able to finish it. This movie consists of two parts–The Boys of St. Vincent and The Boys of St. Vincent 15 Years Later. Both were difficult to watch for various reasons.  While there is some pretty blatant profanity and even mild nudity/simulated sex acts, the subject matter was so weighty, I almost didn’t even notice those elements. During this film, my emotions ran the entire gamut, and the film’s message will remain with me possibly for the rest of my life.

Secondly, this is a challenging film to find–especially in Region 1. If you go to Amazon, you will be spending $100 (I am not joking.) Permit me to link you to a site in Australia where I found this movie for a reasonable price.

http://rareandcollectibledvds.com/the-boys-of-st-vincent.html

My review: At the beginning of both parts of this film, there is a disclaimer that makes it very clear that this is inspired by the well-publicized case in Newfoundland and others throughout Canada. Therefore, it is understood that this is a fictional retelling of a horrible cover-up in the Catholic church. I was aware of these concealments, but I was not abreast of just how rampant these cases have been. Furthermore, it is one thing to hear a news account, but a well-done dramatization just brings it all to life.

In the first part, the boys are young, and Brother Peter Lavin (played brilliantly by Henry Czerny) is the primary one who molests the children–principally Kevin Reevey (played by Johnny Morina in this portion).  While there are other outstanding performances, these are the two whose performances were the most prominent. To see the priest do the unthinkable to this poor orphan boy just broke my heart. Being a teacher myself, this kind of thing is more sickening than I could imagine.  Very little is left to the imagination, and as the police get involved, the stories get even more heinous. I will warn you that the ending of part one incensed me beyond belief. I could hardly wait to begin part two.

As I began the second part–15 years later–I honestly wasn’t paying much attention. I was busy looking up who Timothy Webber was (Moon in Cedar Cove) and I missed Sebastian’s entrance. I had to rewind the movie (so glad we live in the modern age). This was his first film, and goodness was he young (not that he’s incredibly old now as I prefer his look now). As the grown-up Kevin Reevy, he brought his “a-game” to this role as he always does. One might expect a somewhat “green” performance but I saw nothing to indicate that.

If you are truly observant you might notice a young Timothy Webber as Brian Lunney. I would not have recognized him had I not looked him up. It was hard to see the physical feature similarities, but the voice sure sounds the same. Small part, but indeed some memorable moments.

Henry Czerny reprises his role as Brother Lavin, and there is no doubt that I loathed his character more than in part one. The film did attempt to engender sympathy for his character, but I had none to give.

If anything, I felt sympathy for his family whom he had neglected to inform of his past sins. This leads to an incredibly dramatic ending that I will not spoil for you.

It should come as no surprise to you that I devote the rest of my review to my good friend Sebastian Spence. As I mentioned earlier in the review, even though this is his first film, there is no doubt that everything I’ve come to know and love about his acting (and him in general) is found in this performance. Being the consummate professional that he always is, his speech, mannerisms, and facial expressions give his performance the absolute credibility that he never fails to bring to each and every role.  And his attention to detail always impresses me–even at the beginning of his career.

While I will never call this my absolute favorite film of Sebastian’s, he completely overwhelmed me with his depth of acting. There is no doubt in my mind that even at this early point in his career, he completely immersed himself in his role.  Although I have seen Sebastian in highly dramatic roles, this one was something that went beyond those typical roles. Kevin Reevy is a truly tortured soul who is forever scarred, and I saw all of that in Sebastian’s performance.  Additionally, I never doubted that he was that little boy all grown up from the first film. That has to complicate a role, but per usual, Sebastian delivered effortlessly.

Much of the hurt and anger is seen in interactions with his girlfriend. In fact, I was completely entranced as he awoke in the middle of the night screaming and nearly suffocating from the flashbacks from his youth. I’ve seen Sebastian play a psychopath and a murderer, but I have not seen him play such a tormented soul as Kevin. I was so emotionally invested in the story and particularly his character that I was unable to watch this all in one setting. More than once, I had to turn this movie off and regain control of my turbulent emotions.

Dear reader, you may wonder why I have such a potent reaction to this movie. Without going into highly personal details, although I have not experienced what any of these boys did, I have had my own set of issues where I permitted someone to control me emotionally and physically. While those issues are in the past, this movie dredged up those long-forgotten and formerly resolved hurts.  If your history includes any traumatic stories like this, be warned that this movie may affect you as it did me. Also, the crimes are so heinous as the victims were innocents. There is a strong chance that this movie may evoke violent emotions.

Undoubtedly, the pinnacle of this film is Kevin Reevy’s testimony on the witness stand.  As Sebastian’s character related the story of what happened fifteen years ago in great detail, I was wrenched with emotions. I had to stop the testimony at least once as bitter tears and sobs overtook me.  The use of flashbacks only deepened the intensity of the scene.  I know I screamed at the television more than once, and I am quite certain I wanted to throw something at the Brother Lavin character, but I regained control. I was so grateful when the film concluded as I doubt I would have been able to endure any more of the story.

In conclusion, I have seen a great many emotional movies in my lifetime on a variety of topics, and they always affect me.  I have sometimes embarrassed those with me as my emotions have been a bit on the forceful side. I can honestly say, however, that since I made emotional connections to my past, this film struck a chord in a way the others have not.  I am grateful that I watched this by myself as I am sure that if others had watched it with me, they probably would have thought that I was “off my rocker.”  Lest you think, dear reader, that I regretted watching this film, nothing could be further from the truth.

As to Sebastian, I don’t think there are words to describe just how unbelievably well he performed his role. How he could have given such a stunning, mesmerizing performance at his tender age only speaks to his innate ability and dedication to his craft. Dear reader, I know I seem to say nothing but exceptional comments about Sebastian’s work, but his prowess leaves me no choice. I can sincerely declare that his performance (as well as the performance of Henry Czerny) is the main reason for my vigorous response to this film. While the subject matter is grievous, I will forever remember the testimony of Kevin Reevy as well as the dramatic conclusion to this film.

If you are interested in finding out more about this film, check out the following links:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106473/?ref_=tt_trv_cnn

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0225219/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_70

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