'Blue Boy' Short Film Review

Screen Critix • December 13, 2021

A former world-class boxer and now Las Vegas diner owner is visited by a desperate boxer in the neo-noir short film Blue Boy.

Opening like a scene out of Pulp Fiction, a boxer is seen scrambling out of the back of an arena, still wearing his boxing gloves and shorts. Unlike Bruce Willis’ character Butch, the boxer in the short film Blue Boy doesn’t get into a taxi to escape, but leaps off some steps, over a wall, and runs down an alley. It’s obvious though, that like Butch, our character here has decided to not take a dive in his prizefight, and has instead won his bout and fled with the bribe money.

We soon get to meet the titular Blue Boy (Jack Forcinito), a former world-class boxer who could have gone down as one of the greatest of all time, had he not decided to step away from the sport to open a diner in Las Vegas. Forcinito plays the role really well, showing off his acting chops in emotional scenes, and during violent punch-ups too. He does sound a little like Jason Statham doing an American accent, but it did work well for the character too.

Now living a rather lonely, and seemingly unfulfilled life, Blue Boy is soon visited by the aforementioned boxer from earlier, having outrun the bad people he owes money to. The boxer, Bobby (Gennaro Lee) has sought out Blue Boy for help even though he has never met him. The reason he wants Blue Boy’s help, he believes that he is the son that Blue Boy never knew he had. The news obviously comes as a shock, but Blue Boy agrees to help get Bobby out of the city and away from his pursuers.

Unfortunately, the pursuers get wind of Blue Boy’s help and pay him a visit. Led by the scary mob matriarch Battleaxe Sue (Lorri Oliver), two heavies are soon left to “deal” with Blue Boy, but they may have just underestimated the old boxer’s heart.

As a short, Blue Boy may not be totally original, but it is oozing with style and great dialogue. Shot like a cross between a Nicolas Winding Refn movie and a 70’s Giallo, it is pretty evident that a lot of effort has been put into making the short film stand out. The screens are, for the most part, splashed with color, especially neons. It looks great.

There are a few instances where the 180-degree rule is either forgotten about or dismissed, especially in early scenes where three sportswriters are sat around a table, and when Blue Boy is talking to his cook in the diner; watching these scenes makes the viewer a little disoriented due to the camera being placed past the line. Of course, these instances can be forgiven thanks to the rest of the short looking so good. There are some cutaways of Blue Boy and Bobby shadow boxing, bathed in neon, and shot at a higher frame rate, and they really look excellent.

One also has to commend the sound design and score of Blue Boy. Not only does it sound crisp throughout, but the music suits the short, and the use of fight commentators talking over the radio in earlier scenes really sets the mood of the short. Overall, Blue Boy may not be a perfect short thriller, but it does have style and substance in abundance, with a great lead performance from Jack Forcinito. Four of five stars.

By Carl Burgess, © Screen Critix