Boulevard

In "Boulevard," Robin Williams, in this final dramatic role before his suicide last year, did prove himself to be an actor of value. It couldn't have been easy taking on this role of Nolan Mack, a 60-year-old closeted gay man, in a stultifyingly dull job, married to a lovely wife-in-the-dark, Joy (Kathy Baker).

One night, he inadvertently takes a wrong turn in his unnamed city, driving down a wide boulevard favored by prostitutes of both genders. He acknowledges his closeted desires and picks up young Leo (Roberto Aguire), who is willing to be sucked and/or suck for an expensive price, which Nolan agrees to. However, he makes the mistake of falling in love with this lonely fellow, and is forced to reveal himself to his wife and to his best friend, Winston (Bob Odenkirk).

It's a depressing film, and you have to wonder how much playing this role contributed to Williams' emotional despair; but wonder is all we can do as none of we viewers were there. It's a subtle performance, with an occasional Williams witty-ad-lib -- you can't keep a good comic down.

The movie is R-rated for language and sexuality, but it's mostly all talk. The nudity of the young man is kept neutral as the film is not about sexuality, but about emotional attachment. Leo is pimped by a vicious psychopath, Eddie (Giles Mathey), who treats the younger man like shit and beats him up, along with Nolan, leading to the "outing" of the older man.

Douglas Soesbe's script is tight, with just enough character-revelation to keep our interest. Director Dito Montiel also keeps his direction taut, capturing the various moments of pain, happiness and dullness, keeping them finely balanced. Certainly his casting is terrific, with Williams and Baker sharing a marriage-of-convenience, but with the proper moment of truth not happening until Nolan's reality is forced out of him. Baker, as always, is a stalwart actor and finds honesty in Joy's predicament: what do you do with a marriage that doesn't include sex? Odenkirk has fine moments, Mathey is marvelously hateful and Aguire proves his worth.

"Boulevard"
Blu-ray
$9.99
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