A devoted husband in a marriage of convenience is forced to confront his secret life.

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Lowbacca1977 from United States
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Robin Williams takes on another serious role here as Nolan, and he does another good job in playing a serious role like this and handling a lot of raw emotions that really diverge from the image of Robin Williams in the role of comedy, although there's certainly some humour he brings to some scenes.

Really though, the film tackles a very somber and difficult topic as Nolan, long since married, takes a sudden leap into trying to acknowledge his homosexuality when he picks up a young guy off the street, paying him just to spend time with him. The idea of someone in a marriage having an affair usually is linked with boredom or disinterest, or some sort of deficiency present. What makes this powerful is that there is no deficiency in the marriage, it's simply something that Nolan can't choose to be. There is love between him and his wife, but they seem to be different loves.

To an extent, I found the film difficult to watch, particularly the scenes with Leo, the young man that Nolan develops an infatuation with, but part of the power of the film are those scenes, the awkwardness and uncertainty that Williams brings to Nolan, and the overpowering feeling that he's not sure how to accept what it is he wants. It's a very different sort of story than what I've seen of dealing with someone being gay, but it's strongly shown that it is a story that deserves telling.

Most poignant about the film, for me, wasn't the film itself so much as what was discussed during the Q&A, and an unusual coincidence that happened during the shooting of the film. One of the filming locations belonged to a couple that had been married for decades, but where the husband came out only a few years prior to being contacted by a location scout. That just adds something powerful to it for me, perhaps just as it really added to the sincerity of the film to have someone stand up and say that the heart-wrenching and painful scenes in the film can be very real, but that the underlying love, even if not quite romantic, is also very real.

I did find the film dragged, and there was a slow agony to it, somewhat like slowly removing a band-aid, so while I think the core of it is a very powerful set of emotions, as a film I was less impressed, and that as a film it was solid, but not stand out.

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soncoman from United States
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It's been nearly a year since we lost Robin Williams to a long-standing bout of depression that eventually led to his suicide. This led to an enormous outcry of grief all over the celebrity and social media world from those who had grown up on his movies, television and standup and caused many to reflect on this talent that we had perhaps taken for granted. No one can deny that his movies weren't always diamonds, but his work in them was almost always admirable and memorable. The fact that he spent the last couple of years of his life giving great performances in terrible little-seen direct to VOD films ("The Angriest Man In Brooklyn", "A Merry Friggin' Christmas"), with the occasional cameo in something truly awful ("The Big Wedding"), is a rather tragic thought. But fortunately, with Dito Montiel's newly released film Boulevard, Williams goes out strong, if not quite on top.

Williams plays Nolan, a man who's stuck in your typical indie-film marriage, i.e. loveless. He's friendly and cordial with his wife, but is clearly missing something vital. One night he's driving home and spots a group of gay hookers on the sidewalk and after nearly accidentally running one over, he befriends him and starts to confront his closeted homosexuality.

He gets advice from his friend Winston, played by Bob Odenkirk, who brings all the levity and spontaneity that you'd hope for from the guy who plays Saul Goodman in a role that could have felt a tad superfluous. He's clearly only in the movie to give Nolan a person off which to bounce his thoughts, but with an actor like Odenkirk in the role, it's hard to complain about such matters.

If you feel like you've seen this film before, you probably have. We've seen this suburbia set-up many times over the last couple of decades, so when a film goes for this, you really have to count on strong performances and interesting surprises to make it worth your while. Thanks to Williams' tender, vulnerable, aching performance, the film always stays on the side of watchable, and often fascinating. An electronic synthesizer score often tends to call too much attention to itself and distract from the fine performances by not just Williams, but also Roberto Aguire as Leo, the young man whom Nolan befriends. Fortunately though, once the film firmly establishes what it's about, such distracting little director quirks either ceased altogether, or just stopped bothering me.

Certainly for someone like me, a huge fan of his work, it's impossible to watch Williams play such a sad, morose character and not be reminded of what happened shortly after this film was finished. It's just unavoidable. But thankfully, that would just be me reading too much into the story. The man was an actor, and an excellent one at that. Remove all of the comedies from his resume, and you're still left with one of the most impressive collections of dramatic performances in recent memory. This film is no exception. Every time he smiles to avoid confronting the pain and confusion that Nolan feels so strongly, we don't question him in the slightest bit. When we see him look at Leo with his expression of sorrow and pity, it's impossible not to feel right there with him.

It may not be best film of Williams' career, and it's a real shame that he never experienced the ultra renaissance that I'm sure was on the horizon for him, but as a film for an actor of this stature to go out on, he could have done much worse than "Boulevard".

Grade: B

www.worstshowontheweb.com

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stephendaxter
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Boulevard stars the late Robin Williams and is the last on screen acting performance we will ever get to see of the man who changed so many peoples lives through his amazing performances in films. And this performance is no different, it is a different type of role, a very dramatic role and i have to say he has left us with one of the best performances of his long and incredible career. Boulevard may not be a fantastic movie but Robin Williams showed in every scene why he was one of the greatest of his generation. He manages to portray this character who is so kind and giving but at the same time conflicted with feelings that he holds to himself so amazingly that you cannot look away from the screen. And with such a small cast he shines as he carries the film from start to finish making you feel so many different emotions at the same time for this incredibly fascinating character. The small supporting cast were all great and all contributed to really understanding Robin's character and why he acts the way he does throughout the film. I speak a lot about Robin's performance when talking about this film because it really is the best thing about the movie and apart from a few other aspects the movie wasn't as fantastic as it could have been.

Another thing i thought was so incredibly interesting about this movie is that it deals with many different themes and ideas that you don't see often in mainstream movies. It highlights certain topics in American society and although it isn't the most accurate representation of these topics it does it's best not to sugarcoat what is happening and that really helped staying engaged in the film. The movie also takes on a very, very slow pace and i understand that the movie needed to have this pace in order to properly share this mans story but without the performance mentioned above driving the film it would not have been nearly as good. The movie has plenty of very slow emotional moments that almost bring you to tears but it also get fairly dark and intense and although the two tones could have been balanced better throughout the film i found myself on the edge of my seat most of the time. The last 10-15 minutes of the movie seemed to fly by and some of what it showed i thought was very relevant to concluding the story but some other things i felt were unjustly concluded, i guess i wanted a little more in the end but it was an alright finale.

In the end, Robin Williams is the reason to watch this movie because not only was it one of his last but it was one of his best and was a truly emotional performance. The film itself was somewhat engaging but a lot of what was wrong with the film was hidden behind Robin's great performance. - 6.5

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Gordon-11 from Earth
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This film tells the story of a seemingly happy sixty year old man, with a decent job and a lovely wife. A random encounter makes him reevaluate his life priorities, and he decides to shred his lies and lives the life he really wants.

As one of Robin Williams' final films, I'm so glad that "Boulevard" shines in just about every aspect, namely Robin Williams' performance, the plot and the brilliant production. The story is subtle but perfectly portrays the complex psychological battle that Nolan goes through. He's a man who is lonely, and yet he seeks attention from the wrong person, as in a person whose love is for rent. The final showdown between Nolan and Joy is very touching, because I feel for both Nolan and Joy.

"Boulevard" tells a very engaging story about a man finally coming to terms with his inner turmoil. I hope more people will have a chance to watch it, because Nolan's story is actually not uncommon in real life.

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David Ferguson (fergusontx@gmail.com) from Dallas, Texas
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Greetings again from the darkness. The tragic death of Robin Williams last year left a void in the world of comedy, and his absence is also felt on the big screen where his dramatic skills were often under-appreciated. His final non-comedic role comes courtesy of a film that is probably not worthy of his talents, but leaves us with a reminder of what a skilled actor he was.

The premise feels at once a bit dated and also timely. Williams plays Nolan, a 60 year old man who works at his comfortable bank job (of 26 years), goes home each day to his comfortable suburban home, to a comfortable marriage to his wife (Kathy Baker) with whom he no longer shares a bed or much of anything else. He also periodically stops off to put a straw in the ginger ale for his near comatose father with whom he has never had much of a relationship. His entire life is a façade of comfort and life lived well enough.

"Are you happy?" That seemingly odd and innocent question from his boss sets Nolan off on a path of awakening. It turns out that since he was 12 years old, Nolan has suppressed his true identity as a gay man. A spontaneous u-turn on the titular Boulevard sends Nolan on a collision path with Leo (Roberto Aguire), a young male prostitute with whom he quickly bonds … through only talking and self-identification.

It's this awakening that brings a level of modern-timeliness as Nolan's story is not so different from that of Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner who has dominated the recent media with the late-in-life shift in persona. They are sixty-plus year old men who have evidently each lived a lie for much of their lives. It's difficult for many of us to relate to, but clearly it's a real thing, and director Dito Montiel and writer Douglas Soesbe capitalize.

The best and most uncomfortable scenes occur with Ms. Baker and Mr. Williams avoiding the issue through years of practice, and also the scenes with Mr. Williams and Bob Odenkirk who plays his long-time friend and confidant. These are three strong actors who work well with each other.

There is really nothing wrong with the film … it's slow pace designed to match that of Nolan's life … but the Nolan and Leo segment just never clicked, leaving me struggling with a third of the story. It's about a man who is totally not comfortable in his own skin, and lives a somber and unfulfilled life right up until the point where he takes a leap. It's not that he takes a leap, but rather the specific leap he takes that just didn't click for me. Still, it's a performance from Williams that is worth watching – in fact, must be watched if you are a Robin Williams fan.

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aharmas from United States
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Robin Williams' loss is certainly one of the biggest blows to Hollywood. He didn't make as many classics as he should have, and maybe he didn't choose wisely or he couldn't do it because of the way the world of movies works. We know he left a legacy that includes "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Awakenings", "Aladdin" and a few other gems. He brought the very strange of Garp to reality, not disappointing those fans of the novel, and if you kept up with him, he brought to life an incredible trio of dark characters on TV and film, in films like "One Hour Photo", "Imsomnia", and in a couple of episodes of "Law and Order, SVU", and if you ever saw "The World's Greatest Dad", you know "Boulevard" was really quite a swan song. Oh yes, it could have been better, but it is truly above average, and it's one of Williams' best roles.

In "Boulevard" Nolan (Williams) has been married to a dutiful and devoted but aloof woman named Joy (Baker). Their marriage is an example of that situation where everyone involved is apparently satisfied with an arrangement that keeps both parties content but lacks passion, yet it manages to keep loneliness at bay. We really wonder how anyone can survive such an arrangement because for many it might just resemble a very crowded room where loneliness becomes more potent because there is no connection, where you might hunger for more company because there's no true connection to your mate. Either you resign yourself to it, or wonder into dangerous territories because once you stray, things might never be the same.

Fate places Nolan in such position, as he is unable to contain his urges anymore. He has fought them for a long time, and his own personality has enabled him to manage a semblance of normalcy for a long time. His work is monotonous, his wife supports him and doesn't question his idiosyncrasies, and life is at least tolerable. Nevertheless, he meets a young man, Leo (Aguirre), and he develops an obsessive need to be near him. We never truly understand how this works, but if you are a rational human being, you know that emotions sometimes defy logic, and it is this new impulsive obsession that begins to unravel Nolan's life.

Soon he is wandering at the most unexpected times, having furtive rendezvous with Leo, trying to change the young man's life, definitely passionate about his new friend but, in an interesting twist, he never really becomes physically involved with him. It doesn't matter because he's still making mistakes, cheating on his wife, confusing his boss and his best friend, and putting every aspect of his life at risk.

One thing that becomes more apparent is that Nolan is a lot stronger than we originally believed, and he changes, facing new obstacles, and surprising us with some of the way he manages to overcome some of them. People start judging what they see. Some condemn it, and others just watch, without interfering.

"Boulevard" shows that change is difficult, and there are some instances when even the slightest deviation from routine might lead to irreversible damage because no single individual is absolutely detached from the rest of society. The ending of the film hints at the possibility of happiness, but as we have seen throughout the story, happiness is a frail condition, and our world is dark and dangerous. If you manage to conquer the darkness, things might be o.k.

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ccorral419 from United States
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Director Dito Montiel ("A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" and lead singer for "Gutterboy") joins forces with Writer Douglas Soesbe to present what ended up being Robin Williams' final on screen performance. Based roughly on Soesbe's own coming out story, the overall film is unfortunately calculated and predictable. The major cast members (relative newcomer Robert Aguire "Struck By Lighting" and the usually wonderful Kathy Baker " Picket Fences') all wear their wounded hearts on their sleeves, leaving little for the audience to root for and/or feel concerned amount. Luckily, Bob Odenkirk "Breaking Bad" adds a little self-absorbed heart-felt comedic relief. The blame here lies in the hands of the Director, Writer and Cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung. Look for this film to be over hyped, due to Williams' recent death, then fade away.

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Becky Spithill from United States
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This film tells a story that has the power to resonate with any of us. I am drawn to coming-of-age movies, and this is nearly that kind of movie. But not quite.

While this is a film about a classic journey of discovery driven by a pureness of intent, the main character, Nolan, is not a child coming into his own, but a 60-year-old gay man. For Nolan and those whom he loves, the journey culminates in the loss of something akin to innocence, and it is both painful and necessary.

I loved this movie. The performances and the characters are captivating, and most especially Robin Williams' Nolan. This is a story about love, for self and for others, genuine and deferred.

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Bob An from Serbia
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The fact that it is / was the last film of Williams add something to the viewing itself. I am not completely familiar with his death, so I can not really say how - maybe - this movie fits into his last months of life...But I can see that some stories can unfold something deeply hidden in someone and make an explosion.

This is a good drama. Williams is very believable in his role. It does feel genuine and somehow fits him good.

Someone wrote that the film is predictable.Well, for me, at least, I did not see that kind of an ending. I am not sure if I expected a happy ending with the boy, but... I am happy that my predictions ( whatever they were) did not come true.

Somehow, the slow pace of the movie and kinda darker colors / cinematography reminded me of the 60's and 70's and that added something moody, melancholic to the movie which I liked.

Seven from me.

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Ken from Malta
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This film should have been made 25 years ago. In fact, it probably was.. several times over, and far more believably. With actors who weren't almost catatonic, with a real chemistry between the leads, with what (at the time ) was perhaps originality but now is just warmed over pathos. Robin Williams coasts through this film. If this had been made at the start of his career instead of at the end - nobody would care at all that he is dead. Sorry to say so, but it's that bad!

In the entire film, there were only two moments that were even mildly real in the sense of genuine feeling creeping through. And unfortunately it was mostly the other actors who did so.

The script is bad, the acting for the most part wooden, the direction barely adequate and certainly not inspired in any way. There is only one reasonable question that should be asked: why did anyone make this film? We don't learn anything new that hasn't already been shown so many times before that it is - at this late date - nothing but clichés.

In fact, worse than clichés, for there are some scenes that are so completely unbelievable it is embarrassing. I am purposely NOT giving away spoilers, because this film spoils itself too much already. Avoid it if at all possible!

Last dramatic movie of Robin Williams.
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Address of bank location is: 3939 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216 Not an actual bank, but a cafe named Sip Cafe.
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According to an Q&A session at a screening, the house used for Robin Williams' character belonged to a married couple. Like the in the film, the husband of the couple identifies as gay.
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male prostitute|male rear nudity|bare chested male|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Germany:12 / Singapore:R21 / South Korea:15 (2015) / USA:R