Boy A

Based on Jonathan Trigell's novel, this dramatically charged sophomore film from British director John Crowley ("Intermission") follows the erratic trajectory of "Boy A," (well played by Andrew Garfield) after his release from a juvenile incarceration facility for the murder of a child. Under the protection of his parole officer (Peter Mullan), Boy A is given a new identity as Jack Burridge and moved to Manchester where he's placed into a job and strikes up a romance with the company's receptionist Michelle (Katie Lyons). In spite of all attempts to keep his troubled past secret from co-workers, Jack is unable to keep history at bay. Well-acted, atmospheric, and gripping, "Boy-A" nevertheless negates much of its dramatic force with an ending that woefully attempts to shoehorn novelistic precedent into cinematic form.

Not Rated, 100 mins. (B-)